


The Return of Skywalker

by JediShadow13



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Ben got the Solo sarcasm, F/M, Force Baby, Force Bond (Star Wars), Force Dyad, Force Ghost(s), Grief/Mourning, Have you ever heard the Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise?, Jacen is a hot nerd, Jaina's a snarky spitfire, Star Wars Spoilers, Unplanned Pregnancy, finn comic relief
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:08:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 25,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21894874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JediShadow13/pseuds/JediShadow13
Summary: **SPOILERS FOR TRoS**“Uh Rey?” Finn's voice called out to her, “Why is he glowing?”When Ben sacrificed himself to resurrect Rey there were unforeseen side effects. His life force didn’t just go to her, it bonded with her. With his death their force bond should’ve disappeared…instead it adapted, molding itself into something new…or rather someone new.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 60
Kudos: 214





	1. Aftermath

Rey sat patiently, trying to keep her nerves in check as the Resistances medical droid, EM-18, ran a basic diagnostic on her. She drummed her fingers against the cushioned padding of the examination table as the droid’s scanner ran down her body, settling on her abdomen for a moment, before continuing down her legs. 

She was just waiting for confirmation on what she already knew to be true. 

“Diagnostic complete.” The droid said in a monotonous tone as it stood up straight, its red scanner shutting off. “Initial testing indicates that your life functions are all normal. However, blood work indicates that you are seven weeks pregnant.”

Rey took a deep breath and released it. She slowly sat up and rubbed at her eyes with the heels of her hands. 

“How is this possible?” Rey asked herself as the medical scanner confirmed what she already suspected.

The med-bot perked up and turned to look at Rey, “In mammals, procreation occurs when one male and one female-“

Rey cut him off quickly, “I was speaking rhetorically, thank you!” 

The last thing she needed today was a biology lesson from a medical droid. 

After a few moments she gathered her belongings, thanked the droid, paid the few credits due for the medical examination and returned to her speeder. All the while stewing on her current situation. 

She was pregnant, and despite her frustration with the droid’s lack of tact, it had a point. From a medical standpoint, her pregnancy should’ve been impossible. She was a virgin. Hadn’t so much as kissed anyone until after the battle on Exegol with Ben nearly two months ago. 

Back on Jakku, she was only ever focused on survival and where her next meal would come from. She considered companionship an unnecessary luxury. That is, until that fateful day when she met Finn and got pulled into the conflict with the First Order. 

Her life had changed so much in the last year. She discovered her latent force-sensitivity and had to deal with her powers evolving at an alarming rate. Getting a surrogate family, meeting her equal, and discovering she was the heir to the Sith empire. The last living blood relative of possibly the most evil, vile man to ever exist in the galaxy. 

She cringed at the thought of Darth Sidious, remembering that day on Exegol. It had been nearly two months since his final defeat…7 weeks to be exact. She knew it wasn’t coincidence that her baby’s moment of conception likely lined up with that very day. The day the Sith Empire was finally eradicated.

Her mind instantly went to a dark place. Was this pregnancy the result of Sith alchemy? A twisted way for Sidious to continue his legacy. Or was it simply the will of the Force. One of Luke’s lessons were that there were no coincidences. Every moment, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, served a purpose. With that thought she calmed herself, taking several deep breaths and finding her center. 

As she mediated, her thoughts drifted back to Exegol. The day she died. 

She remembered dying, remembered fading towards a glowing golden light. She remembered seeing flashes of her parents, waiting for her on the other side. She had wanted to reach out to them, but they smiled sadly at her not reaching out to help her cross the threshold, the point of no return. She had longed to see them, and yet in those moments she realized that this wouldn’t be her end. She felt something deep within her. The force-bond she shared with Ben Solo. 

It had called out, he had called out to her, flooding her with his own life force. He had known the cost and he hadn’t hesitated. She had opened her eyes, and finally took his hand…Bens hand. The man she knew lived behind that mask and beyond the barriers and walls of Kylo Ren. Ben Solo was the man she knew she could come to love. 

She remembered kissing him, giving in to that desire that she no longer felt ashamed of. She had gripped his hair and he caressed her back. When they finally pulled apart, he had smiled at her. And he looked truly happy and at peace. Looking back, she wondered how long it had been since he had smiled. 

She relived it every day, how his eyes slowly closed, and her scrambling in panic to catch him as he fell back to the cold floor. She continued to hold his hand as his body faded away, becoming one with the force. 

But the most alarming thing about that moment was feeling the force bond go silent. It didn’t disappear, she still felt it. It had just gone quiet. And she was once again alone.

Or so she thought.

oOooOooOooOooOo

“So when do I get to build my own lightsaber?” 

Rey glanced up from the Jedi tome she was studying and saw Finn levitating one of the objects on the table in her apartment.

Shortly after the war ended, the resistance returned to their forgotten capital on Coruscant. And as a representative of the Jedi order, Rey had been given quarters to live in in the city. She was a hero of the New Republic, but she was never one for titles. 

She kept her apartment fairly sparse. A kitchen table, two chairs, a sofa and bookshelf where she kept her Jedi texts. And a small one-person cot that she slept on. Her spare room was used for meditation, she took to keeping the blinds shut and unnecessary sounds out. It was a place where she could go for reflection and peace of mind. 

After the final battle, Finn had finally told her what had been on his mind. He was force-sensitive. He explained to her that it had started with feelings, gut instincts he had from time to time. But then it had evolved into dreams and visions. So, she didn’t hesitate to take him under her wing. Teaching him as Luke and Leia had once taught her. 

Finn was naturally gifted with the mental aspects of the force. Such as telepathy, psychometry, and persuasion. But he had recently tapped into the physical side, utilizing force jump and force push. 

“Soon,” she answered in response to his question, “You’ll need to get a kyber crystal first.”

“How do I find one?”

“There’s a test you have to pass, you have to earn it. The crystal comes to you.” She explained.

“Sounds ominous.” He murmured as he guided the floating apple back into its bowl. 

Rey groaned and shut the book she was reading and slid it away. Of course, it didn’t yield any of the answers she was looking for. 

“What are you looking for?” Finn asked, “That’s the third book you’ve skimmed through.”

“Something Sidious said when we confronted him. It’s been bothering me. He said that Ben and were something called a ‘force dyad’. He said it hadn't happened in generations. I’ve never heard the term before and I can’t find any mention of it in the sacred texts. ”

“Oh, is this about the whole uh, ‘bun in the oven’ thing?” Finn asked awkwardly as he motioned to his stomach area. 

Rey furrowed her brow, “My pregnancy? Yes. And can you never phrase it like that again?”

“Sorry…it’s just a lot to take in…all of it.”

“I know,” Rey sighed before groaning and burying her head in her folded arms. 

“Have you tried talking with the old masters? The weird shiny blue force ghosts.” Finn asked.

“Not yet, I was waiting…” Rey trailed off as it dawned on her. “Finn, that’s it!”

“Uh, what is?” He asked leaning back. 

“Something like this has happened before,” She explained, “Anakin Skywalker, Luke’s father, he was the chosen one who initially defeated Palpatine. He was also the product of an immaculate conception. Brought into existence through the Force as a means to bring balance between the Light and the Dark.”

“But i thought Anakin had no actual father, isn’t Ren the father of your child?” Finn asked.

“Ben,” she corrected. She knew it would take a while for Finn and the others to come to terms with Bens redemption and sacrifice. Kylo Ren was responsible for countless deaths and stood by while whole planetary systems were snuffed out of existence. Somethings couldn’t be easily forgiven or forgotten. But she knew the truth, Kylo Ren had died in the Endar system. Finally overcoming the hatred and fear that consumed him, and returned as Ben Solo. The unknown hero and ally to the Resistance. 

“But yes, Ben is somehow the father of our child. I think something happened when he resurrected me, something else transferred to me. But at the end of the day that’s all I have, thoughts. Thoughts and questions but no answers. And I am not getting them from these ancient texts. I think I need to speak with a few old friends.”

oOooOooOooOooOo

Rey insisted that Finn could stay while she summoned the Jedi of the past, but he declined. Saying his training could wait and this was her journey and her questions that needed answering. 

She nodded as he left her apartment and took a speeder back to the New Republics military base. He had a meeting with Poe and Jannah. 

Rey knelt down in her meditation chamber. Sitting back on her heels, she closed her eyes and called on that tether that connected her to thousands of Jedi’s passed. After a few moments, her call was answered. 

She looked up she saw three figures before her, each incorporeal and glowing blue. 

Luke Skywalker, his father Anakin, and the wise master Yoda.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, so this is my return to fanfiction after about 3 years. But sometimes when the muse hits you just have to let it out. 
> 
> As of right now, this story is just kind of a mystery/adventure for Rey. I will be throwing in lots of nods to Legends characters, and there should be more of a HEA towards the end. We'll see how it goes, it started off as a 2-3 shot and is quickly spiraling. 
> 
> Anyhow, i loved Rise of Skywalker and the fact that Reylo is now officially canon (honestly didn't think it was gonna happen). i might be one of the few who was actually satisfied with Ben's ending. I keep seeing people say he deserved a happy ending, and i honestly think this was it for him. He died saving the woman he loved and literally passed with a smile on his face. I don't think them riding on Bantha's into the twin sunset on Tatooine was ever in the cards for him. But i digress. I do wish he would've popped up as a force ghost in the end though.


	2. The Old Masters

Rey looked between the three masters, all standing equal distances apart. Their blue aura subtly lit up the room. They were all in similar Jedi robes of varying shades. Luke’s was grey, Yoda’s was light beige, and Anakin’s was a darker brown. 

She had just finished telling them of her unexpected pregnancy. And the supposed events leading up to it. 

There was a very long drawn out silence as the masters processed the news. 

“Strange, this is.” Yoda muttered as he tapped his cane. 

“What’s strange, Master Yoda?” Rey asked. 

“This child you carry, descendent of the strongest of both Jedi and Sith. In him, runs the blood of both Skywalker and Palpatine. A true balance to the force…is he.” Yoda pointed a finger toward her abdomen. 

Rey had a feeling about the child’s paternity. And yet, she felt a wash or relief in hearing its confirmation. “So, Ben is the father.”

“Yes,” Luke answered, “when my nephew sacrificed himself to bring you back, it seems that your force bond, your dyad…responded.”

“But what is a dyad, I first heard Ben mention it. That we had a formed a dyad in the force. And then Sidious said that it hadn’t been seen in generations. So what exactly is it?” Rey asked.

“A dyad is an extension of a force bond. A force bond is a link between two force users. A dyad pulls on that link, bringing you closer and closer to one another until your life force is one and the same. When Ben brought you back, he transferred that life force back into you.”

“That explains why I still feel it, still feel him.” Rey thought to herself. When Ben died, she felt the bond go silent…but ultimately it was still there, just lying dormant. “But was this the will of the Force? Or was it something else? This isn’t something that was planned by Sidious, was it?”

“Rest assured Rey, no dark forces had a hand in this. There is no taint of the dark side surrounding you or the child.” Anakin answered. 

She subconsciously raised her hand to her abdomen. To the subtle life she could feel growing in her. The life of her son.

“Thank you masters.”

Luke and Yoda nodded before fading away. But Anakin remained behind. “I sense you have further questions. Questions for me specifically.”

“Yes master Skywalker.” Rey nodded.

Anakin chuckled, “I was no master.” 

Rey smiled faintly, “If you have any wisdom to provide me, then you are a teacher to me. You are a master in my eyes.”

Anakin nodded as he sat down in one of her loungers and leaned back, crossing his legs. He motioned for Rey to begin. She followed suit, sitting in a chair across from him and folded her hands. 

“When Ben identified as Kylo Ren, he idolized Darth Vader, your former identity. He thought that your return to the light was a sign of weakness and failure. Why couldn’t you step in and put him back on the right path?” Rey asked, no judgement in her voice, just genuine curiosity. 

Anakin took a deep breath, “Because it wasn’t my place. We aren’t really supposed to get involved. We can provide guidance, but we can’t physically change the course of fate. There needs to be a balance.” 

“And even if I had appeared before him, he wouldn’t have listened to me. He respected Vader, not Skywalker. Who I am now, as Anakin Skywalker is a different person than who I was as Darth Vader.”

Anakin leaned forward before continuing, “But, not a day goes by that I don’t regret what I did, or the fact that my grandson saw my greatest failures as victories. Maybe that was my penance, the price I had to pay for my own sins. But regardless, everything happened the way it was supposed to…and ultimately Ben found what he needed, you.”

Rey felt her eyes tear up and looked down, not wanting to show too much emotion in front of Anakin. 

“Is he over there? Will I ever get to see him again?” 

Anakin remained silent for a long moment before he stood up and walked over to Rey. He laid a hand on her shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze. “No one is ever really gone, Rey. Ben will be with you…always.”

oOooOooOooOooOo

Three months after her enlightening conversation with the old masters, Rey fell back into some sense of routine and normalcy. She continued her training with Finn, who was helping her figure out a plan for potentially rebuilding the Jedi Order. Her pregnancy was common knowledge amongst the New Republic, but the paternity was kept under wraps…except for a few select trusted individuals. Namely Finn, Rose, and Poe. 

She was now nearly five months along and was starting to show. Her stomach was getting rounder and fuller with each passing day. The medical examiners confirmed what Yoda had predicted. She was having a boy. A boy that was already showing signs of being strong in the force, due to an early midichlorian count. 

Every night, during her routine mediation session she would attempt to reach out to Ben through the force. If a thousand generations of Jedi lived through her, that would include Ben. He had died a Jedi, after renouncing the dark side. And she knew that he became one with the Force, she had physically watched his body fade away. 

But all she ever had was silence. And all she ever got were vague answers from the force ghosts. 

She never realized how much she came to rely on that force bond with Ben, how badly she would miss him when he was gone. It was like a part of her was missing…like he had taken it with her when he died. And she couldn’t find a way to get it back. 

And part of her was irked that he had so much control over her, astounded that she would be this upset over his death. They hadn’t been friends; they had been situational allies at best. At least that’s what she told herself. In truth, they were two people who were both lonely and who could lean on each other. Two sides of the same coin, Yin and Yang. 

When she realized her mediation was getting her nowhere, she stood up angrily. She grunted in frustration and waved her hand out, force pushing all the objects in the room outward until they slammed against the walls. Her furniture snapped, chips of wood flying off, but she didn’t care. 

Didn’t care that she let the leash on her dark side slip just an inch. 

After a few moments, her temper eased and she reigned it in, the darkness deep within her. She was determined not to let it spiral and consume her. Her grandfather’s legacy. A destiny that she had denied, a fate she would take no part in.

She left the room as is, she would fix everything in the morning. But right now, she needed to go to bed. 

She was tired…so very tired, and she wanted to sleep and forget. 

Not bothering to change into her nightwear, she climbed into her bunk fully dressed and was asleep before she hit the pillow.

oOooOooOooOooOooOo

She was standing in a black abyss. Nothing in the infinite space except for glowing lines of white that stretched on endlessly. She was standing on an invisible bridge, the edges glowing softly. In the distance were dozens of scattered white doors. Ancient runes and symbols engraved around them. 

“Hello!” Rey shouted, hearing her voice echo over and over again in the distance. 

What is this place, Rey thought as she took a cautious step forward. She looked over her shoulder as she tried to understand and make sense of her surroundings. Was this a vision? Or a dream? When she looked forward again, she saw a girl in the distance. Her back was facing Rey. 

Rey called out once more, trying to get their attention.

The girl turned to face Rey, she had long flowing deep red hair and striking blue eyes. She was wearing skin tight black pants with combat boots. And a grey tank top with arm braces on her forearms and biceps. She looked to be only a few years older than Rey. She looked Rey in the eyes with a look of disbelieve. “Can you see me?”

“Who are you?” Rey asked as she tried to walk closer but the girl backed away. 

The girl’s head snapped to the side, “It doesn’t matter, they’re coming…you need to leave before they find you here.”

“Whose here?” Rey asked in alarm. “What is this place?”

“On Lothal, find the ancient temple and open the door…we’ll be waiting.” The girl instructed as she stuck her hand out and sent a powerful force blast at Rey. 

The strength of it swept Rey off her feet, Rey closed her eyes and stuck her hands out instinctively. But when the power dissipated she opened her eyes and was back in her own bed. 

oOooOooOooOooOo

“So…Lothal?” Finn asked as Rey began to pack a traveler’s bag.

Rey nodded, as she packed away a few spare outfits. 

“Because a girl in a dream told you to?” 

“Yes, I can’t explain it. But Finn, she is force-sensitive. And if we are committed to rebuilding the Jedi, we need to find others like us. And something was after her. We need to get to her before it does.”

oOooOooOooOooOo

As Rey was prepping the Millenium Falcon for the mission to Lothal, she remained blissfully unaware of the spirits of Luke and Anakin watching over her in the distance. 

“Everything is in motion.” Anakin said as they watched Chewbacca, Finn, and BB-8 get onto the ship behind Rey. 

“You lied to her.” Luke told his father. Reflecting back on their talk from three months back. 

Anakin scoffed, “I omitted the truth…there’s a difference.” 

“She asked if Ben became one with the Force, and you failed to tell her that he never fully crossed over. His consciousness is preserved in the World between Worlds.” 

“It is best not to give the girl false hope, Luke.” Anakin explained, “Ben died, of that I have no doubt. And yet he remains tethered here...to her, to Rey. Their Dyad is like a lifeline for him. He is stuck somewhere. We cannot reach him, and he will have to get himself out. And soon, before the dark forces come after Rey and the child.”

"She cannot do this alone. She will need help." Luke mused as they watched the Falcon leave the atmosphere.

"She will get all the help she needs, she is headed to Lothal." Anakin continued, “The twins have been trapped for 6 years, it’s time they were released.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the positive feed back, it's always a confidence boost when people enjoy your writing. Please feel free to leave a comment, no matter how short. :D
> 
> I'm going to try and post once a week, but I thought I would squeeze in the next chapter while i have some time off for the holidays. 
> 
> I had a lot of fun writing Anakin as a force ghost, he's unexpectedly becoming a main character. That is one complaint about RoS that I have, Anakin should've shown up as a force ghost at some point instead of just a disembodied voice. It would've been interesting to see Hayden transition from cocky, brash, whiny Jedi Knight Anakin to wise all-knowing Force Ghost Anakin. 
> 
> So i will just have to write about it instead. 
> 
> P.S. Brownie points if you can guess who the girl is.


	3. The Lost Twins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey arrives on Lothal and meets two strangers. Meanwhile, someone tries to find their way home.

As the Falcon touched down at the assigned spaceport in the Outskirts of Lothal, Rey studied the planets city points on the holomap. It appeared that an old jedi temple had once stood a few kilometers away but had since been destroyed…most likely after the initial jedi purges 50 years prior. 

“I’m going to go have a look around,” Rey told Finn as she prepared to leave the ship. “I think you should stay here.” 

“Are you sure?” Finn asked, not wanting her to go alone. He had become very protective of her, especially now in the late stages of her pregnancy. She found it sweet, but this baby didn’t hold her back…it made her stronger. 

“Yes. Chewie can help you run drills with your saber.” Rey nodded to the Wookie who growled in agreement. 

Finn had finally built his own lightsaber a few weeks back, completing his trials and earning a blue kyber crystal. The blade emitted a slightly darker shade of blue than Anakin’s lightsaber, and Finn had assembled it into a grey hilt with gold plating. He was very proud of himself when he finished building it…excitedly showing it off to Poe and the others at any given opportunity. 

“I’ll be back by nightfall.” Rey informed them as she left the ship, pulling up the hood of her white robe. 

oOooOooOooOooOo

Rey walked for several hours, the sun beating down on her as she walked through the grassy plains. Maybe she should’ve had Finn and Chewie drop her off from the air. But she also needed the space, needed the time to be alone for a little while. Right now, her thoughts were wandering to her impending motherhood. And how little she was prepared for when he was due.

With three months remaining, he would be here in no time. 

“I’ll need to think of a name for you,” She spoke out loud as she caressed her stomach. “Han…Luke…Ben? Maybe I’ll wait until I actually see you before deciding on it.” 

“And I can’t, absolutely cannot wait to meet you Little One. You were such an unexpected gift for me, a way to keep your father in my memory. A way to keep our bond alive. Maybe the Force gave you to me as a blessing. My very own family. And a way to keep the Skywalker legacy alive. You see, I never really had a family. I had parents who loved me, of that I have no doubt. Your grandparents, they gave up their lives to save me. Just like your father did. But I’d been on my own for so long, that I forgot what this felt like.”

She smiled broadly as she felt the baby kick, as if agreeing with her.   
She finally saw a crumbling monument in the distance. And near the ruins was an old starship. It looked weathered by age, with carbon scoring all over the wings, as if it had been abandoned for years. Painted on the side was the red phoenix of the rebellion. 

She knew she was in the right place. But she needed to find a way to access the temple, at least what was beneath the surface. The entire place was just a pile of rubble, something had destroyed it. When she got closer to the temple she saw a very clear walkway that had been cleared out. The stone had been ground down to dust. 

“Well, clearly someone was here before.” Rey said as she squatted down and began to climb down the walk way. “I need to find that door the woman told me about.” 

Once Rey got to the bottom, the room opened up. The infrastructure of the temple still holding up. She unclipped her lightsaber and ignited it. The yellow blade lighting up the abandoned temple. 

Up ahead on one of the walls was an elaborate mosaic. It depicted three individuals, an elderly man with a man and a woman on either side. 

“There’s something very familiar about this place,” Rey whispered to herself as she ran her finger over the cracked marble. “I feel the force…calling to me.” 

As her fingers gently grazed over the mural, she felt a divot in one of the stones…a hidden switch? 

Rey pursed her lips and pressed the button. 

Nothing happened for several moments, but suddenly there was a loud pulsing sound and a sphere of energy began to emerge from the painting. 

Rey jumped back as the black portal appeared out of thin air, her hand instinctively went to her swelled abdomen. The portal hummed with power; she could feel the force radiating from it. Looking through, all she could see was black abyss…endless darkness that seemed to go on forever. The same abyss from her dreams. She went to find a way to shut it down when two figures, a man and a woman, suddenly flew through the portal as if they had been tossed. They tumbled to the ground and skidded to a stop. They both grunted and groaned as they rolled around. 

“Son of bitch,” The young woman cursed as she moved to her knees and dusted off her arms. The man beside her hopped up to their feet and helped his companion up. The woman waved her hand and the portal closed behind them. 

They looked close to the same age, maybe a few years older than she was, in their mid-twenties. The girl was tall and toned with shoulder length flame red hair. The man had shaggy dirty blond hair and a very familiar face she couldn’t quite place. The girl was wearing tight skin tight black pants and combat boots and a charcoal grey tank top. A pair of arm bands wrapped around her biceps and forearms. The man was wearing beige cargo pants, a green nylon shirt, a crystal necklace, and a worn brown duster. 

The girl was the one she saw in her dream. Rey was sure of it. 

“What just happened?” The girl shouted again as she took a deep breath, she finally turned and noticed Rey a few feet away. 

“Wait…” She paused as she did a once over of Rey, “I know you…”

The man, the softer spoken of the pair, finally spoke. “Who are you?”

Rey cleared her throat. “I’m Rey…Rey Skywalker. 

The woman furrowed her brow and planted her hands on her hips. 

“Bullshit.” 

oOooOooOooOo

Rey sat in a booth in one of Lothal’s popular cantinas. The two mysterious strangers who had appeared from out of another dimension were sitting across from her. The woman must have been starved from how quickly she was eating her food. However, the man just calmly drank his glass of Rudian Ale. 

Once they left the ruins of the abandoned temple, Rey had been prepared to go into detail about her experiences with the Skywalkers and how she had taken their name, but the girl had simply held up a hand to cut her off. She said that all parties had some explaining to do, but not before they all got some food. So they jumped in the abandoned starship, miraculously the engines still worked and flew to the main town. 

“Well, I guess we’ll start…” The girl took a long drink from her water before she began. “My name’s Jaina, and this is my brother Jacen…we’re Luke Skywalker’s twins.”

Rey was visibly taken aback by the revelation…neither Luke or Leia had ever indicated that Luke had children. Why had nobody told her? Although, now that she knew their identity…she could clearly see the resemblance. At least with Jacen, he looked near identical to his late father. 

Jaina clearly picked up on Rey’s reaction and she continued, “So…you mind telling us who you are? Last I heard, Dad didn’t have a secret love child. And you’ve clearly never heard of us. So why do you have our last name?”

“I’m Rey, I was born on Jakku. Luke and Leia taught me the ways of the Force. They’re the closest thing I have to a family…and after I renounced my family name to cut ties with my grandfather, I took on the name ‘Skywalker’ to honor them.” 

Jaina and Jacen both nodded, following along. Jacen took a deep breath, trying to find a way to word his question. “There’s something we need to know, and I for one am afraid of the answer…but we need the truth.” 

He paused, closed his eyes and leaned forward. “What year is it?” 

“…35 ABY.” Rey answered softly. She hadn’t even stopped to consider how long they were trapped in that other dimension. 

Jaina cursed and Jacen lowered his head into his hands. 

“How long were you stuck in there?” Rey whispered. 

“6 years.” Jacen finally answered, looking up at Rey. “We’ve been gone for 6 years.” 

“How did you even end up here? Wouldn’t you have been part of Luke’s training temple?” Rey asked. If her timeline was right, they would’ve disappeared around the same time Ben fell to the dark side and destroyed the temple. How did they manage to avoid all of that? 

“No. We were in another star system when we got word of the sack. We received a distress call in route to Lothal that Ben had destroyed the temple and we were warned not to return. Ben was like a brother to us; I don’t understand why he did it.” Jaina explained. 

“He was manipulated by dark forces; like a puppet master pulling the strings. He didn’t have any control over it.” Rey explained. 

“Be that as it may, our cousin will have some serious explaining to do whenever we next see him.” Jaina warned. 

“Well, we better get back to Chandrila.” Jacen explained, “I can’t even imagine what Dad’s been going through these past years. Especially if we disappeared right after Mom died.” 

Rey felt her stomach drop. She did not want to have to be the one to break the news about Luke, Han, Leia…or Ben. 

Jacen, the more perceptive of the two, immediately picked up on Rey’s emotions. “What is it?”

Rey rubbed a hand over her face, contemplating how to begin. “I’m sorry to be the one to tell you, but…” 

When Rey began to trail off, Jaina snapped at her. “But what?”

Rey had the feeling they already knew the answer, but she needed to tell them. “Luke passed away last year. He became one with the Force after fighting against the First Order.” 

Jaina closed her eyes, “What else?” 

Rey could feel the sheer pain that was coming from the twins as she explained how Han, Leia and even Ben were casualties of the war. How Kylo Ren had seemingly severed ties with his family, murdering his father. And how Leia had given the last of her strength to reach out to Kylo. Becoming a catalyst for Ben’s redemption. And how he stood by her side to confront the thought dead Emperor Palpatine. 

“What happened to Ben?” Jacen whispered lowly. His jaw ticking slightly. 

“He saved me. I had pushed myself to the breaking point to end Darth Sidious, it killed me…and he brought me back. He healed me. But at the cost of his own life.” 

They all remained quiet for what felt like hours, the loud bustling from other patrons in the Cantina were tuned out. Rey couldn’t begin to imagine what they were going through. She was devastated when her mentors had passed, and she had only known them for less than two years. They were Jacen and Jaina’s family, had grown up with them. And had just found out that their entire family was gone. All while they were trapped in that mysterious void.

“I need to get some air.” Jaina said abruptly as she shot up from the table. She excused herself and pushed through the crowded cantina towards the exit. 

“I’m so sorry.” Rey whispered to Jacen. 

It was minutes before Jacen spoke. “The World between Worlds.” 

Rey looked up at him as he continued, “That’s where we were trapped. Our mother was killed while hunting a dark jedi throughout this system of the Galaxy. Our father sent us on a mission to Lothal, her last known location. We got here, and we managed to find the dark jedi. She was looking for something. She was digging around in the ruins of the temple. It looked to have been destroyed years ago…but they had somehow found a way to open the portal, a door to the World between Worlds. It is a pocket of pure force energy that exists outside of time and space. This dimension is filled with doors that open to various points in time. From the Old Republic, to the Clone Wars, to the future.”

“But all the doors were sealed and we arrived at a dead end. We foolishly jumped in after the dark jedi…we were fueled with a desire to avenge our mother and it clouded our judgement. We dove in without stopping to think of the consequences. The door sealed behind us and we were trapped. Trapped in a world where we did not require food or drink or sleep. Some days it felt like only months had passed…others it felt like centuries.”

“We never gave up hope that we would one day be freed. The one thing that kept us going was that we would be fighting to get back to our family. That we could see them once we returned.”

“And now they’re gone…and it feels like it was all for nothing.” Jacen finished solemnly. 

“It wasn’t for nothing.” Rey said firmly, “Come back with me, both of you.” 

“Go back where?” Jacen asked, shrugging his shoulders in defeat. “The world isn’t the same as when we left it. Most everyone we ever knew is gone, our family…our friends. Apparently, we missed an entire war while we were trapped. And the Republic was destroyed...again. Neither me or my sister know how to deal with that. We don't know how to rebuild.”

“One day at a time.” Rey said dropping a handful of credits on their table to pay the bill and stood up, “But for right now. I think there’s someone who would want to see you.” 

oOooOooOooOooOo

**The In-between**

_There were only two things he knew to be true._

_First- he was dead._

_And Second- there was something pulling at him, like a tether. A tether linking and binding him to something or someone. And ever since he became sentient and self-aware, he had been following that invisible tether. Hoping it would lead him home._

_He didn’t know how long he had been here. He just sort of woke up one day. He had no physical body; he was just a fragment of cosmic thought in this endless starless galaxy. He didn’t know how he got here, and he didn’t remember anything about what happened before he arrived._

_He didn’t know his own name, or who he was._

_If this was the afterlife, he was in for a very boring rest of existence._

_So he continued to follow that invisible tether, pulling at it. Floating on. Knowing that whatever was on the other side was where he was meant to be._

_He supposed home was on the other side. And he was determined to find his way back._

_Whatever it took._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! I'm back!
> 
> I ended up doing my own little spin on Jacen and Jaina Solo from the expanded universe. They will be major characters from here on out and will help her get Ben back. I didn't mean for it to get all angsty this chapter, but i was listening to Dynasty by Miia on repeat and it just sort of popped up. (I feel that song beautifully captures the relationship of Rey and Ben and there are dozens of Reylo videos with that song on YouTube). 
> 
> I think this story will end up being roughly 10 chapters, give or take a few. But i have the whole thing outlined, and will try to update once a week. 
> 
> See you on the flip side!


	4. An Unexpected Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey gets a history lesson, Jaina trains Finn, and Ben reunites with someone from his past.

“Never thought I’d miss this old ship.” Jaina mused as they walked into the loading platform where the Millenium Falcon was docked. “I never understood Uncle Han’s attachment to the thing. Nothing but a hunk of junk if you ask me.” 

“Well it did make the-“ Jacen began. 

“Don’t you dare mention the Kessel run.” Jaina pointed a finger at his face as she cut him off, which Jacen smirked at. 

Rey laughed as the twins continued to banter with each other. After Jaina returned to the Cantina, the three stayed for another couple hours with Rey answering any and every question the twins had about their missing six years. 

"Figures we'd miss the beginning and the end of a galactic civil war while we were stuck in that place." Jaina sighed as she stretched back.

Eventually, the twins agreed to go back with her to the Falcon. They would escort Rey back to Coruscant and stay for a couple months until Rey and Ben's baby was born. In time, they would leave to continue their mission. Investigating their mothers death and following the mysterious clues Mara left behind.

But the twins promised they would be present in the childs life, if Rey willed it. They explained that the kid was family, and by extension Rey was too. She hadn’t felt this, at ease, in a good long while. And she smiled as led the two up the Falcon's ramp and opened the hatch. She already sensed Chewbacca behind the door as it hissed open and they were met with one of Chewbacca's heartwarming roars. 

Jaina and Jacen’s eyes both lit up as they laid eyes on the Wookie. 

“CHEWIE!!!” They cried as they ran forward and nearly tackled their old friend. Chewbacca scooped them up, each in an arm as if they were still toddlers. 

“We missed you too big guy,” Jacen laughed as they were set back down after a moment. 

Chewie let out a fast series of grunts and roars, growling in the familiar shyriiwook language which the twins clearly understood fluently. 

“It’s a long story Chew, but we’re back now and we aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.” Jaina swore as she fistbumped him. “And Rey filled us in on…well everything. We’re so sorry we weren’t here for you…or Ben.”

Chewie grunted softly. Rey chewed her lip as she watched the three. She never really considered before, but with Han being Chewie’s best friend…the wookie was undoubtedly close to Ben when he was still a child. Part of her wondered if Chewie purposely missed the killing shot that day on Starkiller Base when he shot Kylo Ren in the side with his bowcaster. 

The four walked deeper into the falcon, towards the cockpit where Finn was waiting patiently. 

“Took you long enough…” Finn began as he swiveled but stopped when he saw the twins on either side of her. “I see you made friends.” 

“Finn, this is Jaina and Jacen Skywalker…twins of Master Luke. Guys this is Finn, a good friend of mine from the Resistance and recent Jedi padawan.” 

The twins nodded at Finn in greeting. Jaina noticed the lightsaber clipped on Finns belt, “You know how to use that thing?” 

Finn shrugged, “Well enough.” 

“Show me.” 

oOooOooOooOo

“Is he gonna be okay with her?” Rey asked Jacen as they watched Finn and Jaina in the distance. 

The red head twin had two dual purple lightsabers that she held in a reverse grip and she was currently giving pointers to the inexperienced Finn. 

“Yeah, Jaina excels at this.” Jacen assured her, “She’s a prodigy at lightsaber combat. She subconsciously uses the force to enhance her senses and reflexes…she’s never lost a dual. A point she prides herself on.” 

“And what about you?” Rey asked, wondering what kind of tricks he had up his sleeves. 

“I have a knack for reading people and objects,” he explained, “Every animate and inanimate object comes into contact with the force and leaves a sort of echo. I can access these echoes and see events that happened in the past…or ones that may happen in the future.” 

“You can see the future?” Rey asked incredulously. 

“Not exactly,” He explained, “I try not to read too deep into the visions of the future. I’ve come to realize that it often leads to self-fulfilling prophecies. Take my grandfather Anakin for example, he had a vision of Padme dying. Turned to the dark side to save her and in doing so he became obsessed with power and all but killed her. He was his own worst fear.” 

“Did you see anything about Ben when you were kids?” Rey asked. 

Jacen shook his head, “I mean he had a dark side, but all three of us do. We fight it every day, not letting it overcome us.”

Rey nodded in understanding, she herself struggled with a similar internal battle. 

They were quiet for a moment before Jacen continued, “I loved Han and Leia, and they loved Ben with everything they had, I don’t doubt that for a moment. But they weren’t exactly a constant present in Ben’s life. I think he felt like a burden to them, and when they enrolled him in Luke’s Jedi academy…I think it just solidified his view in that. And in hindsight, we all know that it was Darth Sidious who was pulling the strings. Preying on my cousin, and manipulating him to turn against his family…but as much as I hate that Ben didn’t have faith in us…we shoulder the blame…all of us. Me, Jaina…Dad.” 

Rey noticed a twitch in his jaw at the mention of Luke. 

“Don’t you want to see him?” Rey asked, “It’s been six years, and he died not knowing what happened to you and your sister.” 

“Too be honest,” Jacen sighed, “I’m not sure that me or Jai are ready to face our father. My emotions are too high. I could forgive Dad for exiling himself and giving up hope, that needing to be something he figures out on his own. But what I can’t get passed is the events that led him there.” 

“You mean the night the jedi temple burned down?” Rey asked again. 

Jacen nodded, “I’ve wrapped my head around it a dozen ways since you told us about what happened with Ben, and no part of me can justify what he did.”

Jacen pinched the bridge of his nose as he continued, “He honestly considered killing Ben in his sleep, his nephew…our cousin. Ben was like a brother to me. And sure, Ben had a dark side…we all do. I mean, my mother was a dark side agent for over 10 years. An inquisitor. She eventually renounced it with the help of my father. But still. Luke fought for our mother, for Anakin…so why couldn’t Ben have been extended that same courtesy?”

“Why was my father so determined to judge Ben for a crime he hadn’t yet committed?” 

“And I know…I know that Sidious was pulling strings the whole time. That we were all just puppets. But I always thought my dad was supposed to be stronger, he was the best of us…I’m just not ready to talk to him. Not yet.” 

“I understand,” Rey nodded. 

Jacen and Rey sat in a comfortable silence for several minutes, Jacen stretched his legs out and leaned back on his seat. “So….when’s the baby due?” 

Rey perked up, “Oh, in just under three months.” 

“Do you know what you’re having?”

She nodded, “yeah, a little boy.” 

“Do you have a name picked out?” 

She shrugged, “I have an idea…but nothing solid as of yet.” 

Jacen chuckled softly, causing Rey to glare at him suspiciously, “What’s so funny?”

“It’s nothing. It’s just that growing up, Ben was the most standoffish person we knew. He didn’t know the first thing about women. Ben, Jaina, and I made up our own little inner circle but outside of us…he didn’t really have a lot of friends. I just never thought I’d see the day where he’d get a girlfriend.” 

“Oh well Ben and I weren’t actually…we were never officially together.” Rey said shyly. 

Jacen’s eyes went wide in understanding, “Oh! Oh I’m sorry, nothing wrong a little physical comfort either.” 

“No no no, Ben and I had a force-bond. And when he became one with the force…” She gestured to her baby bump, “this just sort of happened.” 

“Interesting,” Jacen said as he rubbed at his jaw. 

“Do you know about Force-Bonds?” Rey asked. 

“Rey, if you haven’t picked it up yet…I’m kind of a nerd.” Jacen laughed, “Ancient Lore is one of my passions. Jaina always pokes fun at me, but it’s helped us out of a bind a few times…so yeah, I know about force-bonds, hell Jaina and i have a subtle force-bond. But I’ve never heard of one causing an immaculate pregnancy.” 

“But your grandfather was born the same way?” Rey countered. 

“Eh not exactly, Anakin was a direct product of the Force. Part of a prophecy, which is a whole other can of worms, this…this is something I’ve never come across before.” 

“Well maybe it had something to do with the dyad, but I’m sure its Bens. The bond lives within me, and it feels the same…and yet different. It’s hard to explain.”

“Hold on a sec. Back up,” Jacen stuck a hand up, “Did you say that you and Ben formed a Force Dyad?”

Rey nodded, Jace looked down and rubbed his fingers against his brow as if he were deep in thought. 

“Why are you looking at me like that? Master Luke…your father, he told me it’s just an extension of our force bond.” Rey explained, not sure why Jacen was so focused on it. 

Jacen chuckled, “Because, it’s not that simple…not even close.” 

Rey bit her lip, “What do you mean?”

“Let me put it this way…its been roughly 36,000 years since people began to formulate what exactly the Force was. And in all those millennia there has only been, maybe 20 documented instances of a Force Dyad. Dyad’s are not man made, it’s not something you can obtain through study…they are physical manifestations of the force. Extremely rare…but extremely powerful. While you studied under our father and Aunt Leia, did either of them ever mention the story of Darth Revan?” Jacen asked.

Rey shook her head, “I’ve read of Revan and some of his exploits in the Old Republic, but I don’t really know his story.”

“Revan was part of a force Dyad, the last known one before you and Ben. He lived 4000 years ago. There are probably hundreds of biographies surrounding Revan from the Mandalorian conflicts up until the Great Galactic War and his battle with Vitate. We don’t have time to delve into the details so I’ll give you a very simplified version.”

Jacen held up his hand and began to tick off his fingers, “Revan started off as a nameless Jedi, he had a run in with the Eternal Emperor and fell to the Dark Side trying to defeat him. As many fallen jedi before him, he couldn’t resist the pull and temptation of the dark side and he kept spiraling down until he was a shell of his former self. He rechristened himself as Darth Revan and fought against the Republic and Jedi he once stood for.” 

“It all came to a head when a Jedi Knight named Bastila Shan confronted him. They fought to a stalemate but he was wounded by outside forces. He was knocked unconscious and Bastila was forced to make a choice. Either deal the killing blow to Revan, effectively cutting off the head of the sith and reach a turning point in the war…or try to save him. She chose the latter.”

“When Bastila made that choice, the choice of compassion and mercy. A force dyad formed between the two. When Revan resurfaced he had lost his memories, the jedi counsel at the time had altered his mind and given him a false identity. You see, Revan wore a Mandalorian mask for his whole adult life, never showing his face. So, no one knew that this low-level soldier for the Republic was at one point a very dangerous Sith Lord.”

“Did Revan ever get his memory back?” Rey asked, immersed in the story. 

Jacen nodded, “After a few months yes, by that time he had formed close companionships and had fallen in love with Bastila. He renounced the Sith and led the fight to defeat his former apprentice Darth Malak. Within a year Revan and Bastila married, which went against the Jedi Code, but no one could deny them after seeing the strength of their bond and their dyad. They were stronger together than apart.”

Rey felt herself sink deeper into her chair, she couldn’t help but note the similarities between herself and Ben with Revan and Bastila. Light and Dark. 

“There’s something else you need to know,” Jacen steepled his fingers. “And I think this is what my father was afraid to tell you. But you deserve the truth.”

“What is it?” Rey asked, bracing herself. 

“Above all else, a dyad is a lifebond. It cannot be broken or severed. The two people share a life force. One cannot live without the other.”

Rey felt her heart drop, “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying…that if you and Ben are in a Force Dyad…a true dyad, then you shouldn’t be alive right now. When he faded, you should’ve too. But you didn’t…do you understand what I’m saying?” 

Rey felt time slow, a myriad of emotions flowing through her. Everything from fear, to shock, to joy, to hope.

“...Ben might be alive.” 

oOooOooOooOooOo

_He continued to float through the endless void, day after day, week after week, year after year. Following that tether that made up his very essence. He wouldn’t give up…no matter how long it took. No matter how tempting it was to give up. To fade away into nothing. But he was so tired…he just wanted to rest….if only for a moment._

_**Do not stop**. a voice whispered from beside him, echoing in the endless void. _

_Who said that? He thought to himself as he looked around for the source of the voice. It was a warm, nurturing voice…female._

**_What are you trying to get back to?_ **

_The voice sounded familiar, like a memory from a distant dream. What was he fighting to get back to?_

_He just wanted to go home. Home to her…Rey_

**_Good. You’re starting to remember. That is your first step if you are to find a way out of this place._ **

_Where am I? he asked. Have I become one with the force?_

**_Not yet…eventually you will return to the Force and join your family. But you still have work to do, Ben._ **

_Ben. His name was Ben._

_Ben Solo._

_No longer Kylo Ren. Ren died on Kef Bir, impaled by his own blade. Kylo Ren died so that Ben Solo might rise. As a phoenix rises from the ashes. The sacrifice of his mother and father made it possible, and the compassion of Rey completely restored his true identity._

**_Trust in the Force, Ben… And trust that which was forged through it…cannot be so easily broken._ **

_The voice slowly stopped echoing and centered in front of him. A glowing blue light began to appear, a spectral apparition taking form._

_She appeared as a middle-aged woman, glowing radiantly, floating in front of him. Her deep brown formal jedi robes blowing in an invisible breeze. Her hood was up and her slightly greying red hair fell in ringlets around her chest._

_Realization slowly dawned on him, and who this person before him was._

_Aunt Mara?_

_Mara Jade Skywalker smiled warmly at her nephew. She reached a hand forward and caressed his cheek._

_He looked down in surprise and saw that his own body was reforming, glowing blue like hers. He was wearing his outfit from the battle of Exegol. His black sweater bearing a burn mark from where Rey had stabbed him._

**_Find your bond-mate, Rey. Only together can you defeat the coming darkness and protect the child of light and dark. For his fate will determine that of the galaxy, the universe, and the Force itself._ **

_What now? Ben asked. But Mara simply smiled and faded away with a wave of her hand. **Until our next meeting.**_

_Great. Ben thought as he was once again alone in the void. At least his head was clear, he remembered everything from his past. And he knew what he had to do. All he needed to do was find a way to leave this place and get back to the land of the living. Get back to Rey._

_He went over his Aunt Mara's warning several times._

_Some mysterious impending dark threat looming over the Galaxy…again._

_What could go wrong?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Everyone!
> 
> Please let me know what you think! All mistakes are mine. 
> 
> I'm not making any concrete plans, but i might eventually do a series of one shots or flashbacks from Ben, Jaina, and Jacen's childhood leading up to when Ben became Kylo Ren...or I'll just work it into this story if it fits. 
> 
> And mini-rant: I might be in the minority of fans who liked TLJ, but the main issue I had was how Luke was portrayed. I mean, Luke was determined to save Darth Vader pretty much immediately after the father/son reveal. But then Luke was prepared to kill his nephew (who he knew since birth) in cold blood, because he sensed darkness in him? And i know it was a brief moment, an 'instinct' that had consequences. But I still didn't like it. So where the twins reunion with Chewbacca will be warm and fuzzy, it's gonna be a bit of a cold reception when they see force ghost Luke. That showdown may be kind of influenced by my own personal feelings on the matter. 
> 
> Any way, i'll get off my soap box. 
> 
> Until next time!


	5. Visions of the Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter was getting too long, had to split it up into two chapters...

Ben continued to float through space, Mara’s warning repeating over and over again in his head.

A child of Light and Dark? What the hell did that mean? Did that reference him? Did it reference Rey? The two of them both had a hand in both the light and dark side of the force.

And what evil was coming? He didn’t think it could get much worse than Sidious and the Sith Eternal.

_Trust in the Force…_

Ben froze at the voice that whispered around him.

_He is a foundling…he is in your care_

_Tell your sister…you were right_

_Ben Solo will turn_

_I am one with the Force…and the Force is with me_

It seemed like dozens of voices were whispering around him. In his youth he heard voices, voices that tormented and haunted him…but these voices were different.

These seemed peaceful almost. As if it were people speaking from different points in time. Like they weren’t intended for him.

Ben looked around for the source of the sounds and in the distance, he saw a series of glowing white paths. Spaced out between the paths were circular doors with engravings that shifted.

He floated down to the passageways and began to walk the paths.

oOooOooOooOo

The first portal he stopped at showed him an image from the Old Republic…a time long past when the Sith Order was as grand and influential as the Jedi. Before the Sith formed the rule of two and operated from the shadows.

He watched as a battle raged on between legions of Sith warriors and an army of Republic soldiers being led by a woman with a double bladed blue lightsaber.

Ben stepped back from the portal and continued down to the next one. He watched as the black gateway rippled and unveiled the scene before him.

_Execute Order 66._ Ben recoiled as he heard the familiar snake like voice of Darth Sidious. He forced himself to look into the portal.

Ben felt nauseous as he watched troopers’ gun down everyone in their path, many of whom were children. They were in a fortified temple, but the young Jedi padawan’s could do nothing to stave off the invaders. The Dark Jedi that led them slashed down every man, woman, and child that got in his way.

He knew what this moment was…the inception of Darth Vader.

Ben immediately stepped away from the portal and kept walking, the echoes of children crying ringing in his ears.

He brought his hands up to his head…how could he have ever idolized that monster. Darth Vader was an evil broken man. Why did Kylo Ren once see that show of needless force and terror as strength?

Ben fell to his knees, images of his own violent actions flashing in his mind. It was pulling him under. Drowning him…

_Confronting fear is the destiny of every Jedi…_

His head snapped up, recognizing the voice of his Uncle. He rose back up to his feet, he had to keep going. He needed to get back to Rey, back to the real world.

He needed to listen to his Uncle, he needed to face his own fears.

oOooOooOo

Ben walked by dozens of portals, seeing glimpses of the past, before he found one from his own lifetime.

“Come one Ben!” A voice echoed from inside the portal.

He cocked his head at the familiar voice, it couldn’t be…he hadn’t heard from his cousins in over five years. They were missing in action. The two had disappeared on a secret mission to the outer-rim. They had disappeared less than a month after Ben’s fall to the dark side.

When he had defected to the First Order, he tried to burn the memory of his cousins from his mind. He thought for sure they would’ve betrayed him as Luke once had. And that betrayal would’ve irrevocably shattered his already splintered soul.

When he rechristened himself Kylo Ren, Snoke had informed his apprentice that the twins had perished. After hearing the news, he secretly tried to sense them through the Force but heard nothing, it was as if they had been completely cut off. And he believed them to be dead. And it was two more reasons to kill the past.

Ben pulled himself from his thoughts and stepped fully through the portal. This was the first one he truly entered and interacted with, all other doors he simply glanced through, but something was pulling at him. He immediately left the never-ending stretch of space and was greeted with a familiar sight.

He was on the balcony of a massive lake house. He stepped forward and placed his hands on the stone railing. The house overlooked a lake that was surrounded by hilly mountains in the distance. The water was a sharp sapphire blue, so clear and clean. The sky was always completely clear and the weather was perfect for swimming.

It was the old lake house on Naboo. His grandmother Padme’s family owned the home, and after the end of the Galactic Empire, when it came out that Leia was the biological daughter of the former Queen of Naboo…she and Luke inherited the home.

In his youth, every year for two weeks in the summer time, Han and Leia would take him here. Luke and Mara would always bring the twins along. He and his cousins were inseparable…they would swim for hours in the lake. Racing each other to the small island at the center of the lake. The three ignoring calls from their parents that it was time for dinner or past their bedtime.

As the years went on, his parents would stop coming to the island. One obligation or another always coming up…but Mara insisted that Ben still come with them.

Ben pulled himself from his somber thoughts and peered over the edge of the balcony, and sure enough, three children were all laying on their towels in the sand. The warmth of the sun drying them off. They couldn’t have been older than ten.

In the middle, Jaina was lying on her stomach, braced up on her arms. She was arguing with Jacen about something trivial…like who was going to win the upcoming pod racing tournament on Tatooine. Ben, or his younger self, sat on her left side and Jacen on her right. Young Ben was on his back, eyes closed and arms folded behind his head laughing softly at the two of them.

“You should have respect for your elders, Jacen!” Jaina quipped.

“You are only three minutes older than me, Jai!” Jacen sighed.

“What do you think, Ben?” Jaina asked, turning her head to look at young Ben.

His younger self just shrugged his shoulders, “Well, since I’m older than both of you, I’m not gonna get in the middle of this…and besides swoop races are much more thrilling than pod races.”

Jaina and Jacen both smirked, before they laid back down on their towels. After a few moments of silence Jaina spoke up in a whisper. “Promise me that this will never change…that we will always have each other.”

“I promise.” Jacen nodded,

“I promise.” young Ben agreed.

“I promise.” Jaina affirmed.

Ben stepped away from the balcony overlooking the three young Skywalker/Solo cousins, he remembered that moment. It was the first year that Ben had come to the lake house alone…without his parents.

He remembered confiding in his cousins that he had started overhearing conversations his parents had had about him. Whispering when they thought he was asleep in bed. How they were worried about the darkness within him.

They spoke about sending him away, a thought that scared him. He remembered feeling abandoned and lost.

Jaina and Jacen had immediately quelled those fears, vowing that they would never abandon him. That he was family…and family stuck together.

And it helped…for a time.

Ben took a deep breath and sighed as he walked away from the balcony. He saw the portal back to the in-between. He had to get back, find a door that opened to his own timeline. He needed to find Rey.

He froze when he looked up and met eyes with Mara Jade Skywalker. God, she looked young here…she had two have been in her late thirties.

Mara narrowed her eyes at him as if she was studying him. Ben attempted to shy away from her stare but it was too late. Her eyes widened in recognition before she stepped closer.

“Who…are you?” She whispered. From the look in her eyes, she had a hunch it was him…she just didn’t know how it was possible. “Ben?”

For a moment Ben considered denying everything and just running back to the portal…and yet his feet remained firmly on the ground.

He opened his mouth and tried to think up an excuse and leave, he shouldn’t be meddling in the past. Didn’t want it to impact the future. And yet he couldn’t stop the words from spilling from him.

“I need help…” his voice broke as he looked up at Mara.

Mara rushed forward and gripped his shoulders, he was a head taller than her and yet she never seemed so big. “Come inside Ben…I want you to tell me everything.”

oOooOooOooOo

Despite wanting to…he did not, in fact, tell her everything. He only gave out vague details.

“I did…horrible…things.” Ben said as his voice wavered. He buried his face in his hands. “Things I can’t shake from my memory. It’s haunting me. I tore apart my family, I stood by while entire planets were destroyed, let Sidious manipulate me, I killed innocent people…I hurt the woman I love.”

He felt a soft hand on his shoulder, and he looked up through teary eyes. Mara had no disgust on her face, only a look of understanding. “Ben look at me…I understand better than most the turmoil you’re experiencing. The guilt, the self-hatred, it is something that I have struggled with for the past ten years. You know I served the Empire for nineteen years.”

“It’s not the same, Mar!” Ben protested, “You didn’t have a say in it. You were forcibly raised that way. I willingly choose that path. And for what?”

“Ben, I might not have known anything other than the dark side…but I am still guilty. I enjoyed exerting control and power over others. I’m not wholly innocent. Just like you aren’t wholly guilty…it sounds to me, like you were as much a pawn to the Sith as I was.”

“You need to forgive yourself Ben…” Mara informed him.

“I don’t know how to forgive myself.” He breathed.

Mara shrugged, “you can’t change the past, but you can change the future. Leave the world a better place than you found it.”

Ben took a deep breath and sighed, he wiped at his eyes with the corner of his sweater.

“Come on,” Mara said standing up, “Let’s get you back home.”

oOooOooOooOo

Mara watched as the Adult Ben Solo walked towards the portal. She waved goodbye as he glanced back at her.

“Who was that, Mom?”

Mara turned abruptly and saw her daughter Jaina walking back up the steps to the townhouse. Jacen and the younger Ben were beside her, drying themselves off with their towels.

“Someone who was lost, he just needed some guidance.” Mara answered.

“Did he find what he was looking for?” Ben asked.

Mara smiled before answering, “Yes…I think he did.”

oOooOooOooOo

Ben stepped back onto the invisible bridge, watching the portal close behind him. It was like a drop in a pond…the picture rippling before fading away.

He continued walking down the bridge. He passed many other portals. He began to tune out the whispering voices around him.

He walked for what felt like hours before he saw something strange in the distance.

It wasn’t a black door…not like the other ones. No, this gateway appeared as a mirror. It wasn’t clear…he could only see shapes on the other side. Nothing solid and clear.

He looked through the foggy mirror, a shadowy figure was on the other side. It walked closer to the mirror and pressed their hand against it.

_I should’ve felt trapped…but I didn’t_ a voice echoed around him faintly _._

“Rey,” Ben smiled. It was her, he knew it…he felt it. He raised his own hand to place it against hers.

The minute their palms met, the glass shattered and he blacked out.

oOooOooOo

He had no idea what the hell just happened.

Everything hurt.

He had sworn that he saw Rey on the opposite side of that mirror. And when he had lifted up his hand to place it over hers…the mirror simply shattered.

It was like a bomb went off. His ears were ringing and every single muscle in his body, his arms legs and back, were roaring at him. Revolting as he tried to push himself up into a sitting position.

His eyes strained as he tried to focus in on his surroundings. He tried to will the blurry images into focus, but the light from the sun was blinding. He brought up one hand to wipe at his eyes, which helped very minimally. He was also surprised by the coarse friction he felt against his fingertips…he had a beard. He ran his hands through his hair and apparently it had grown out several inches. He stared at his hands…the blue glow completely gone.

How much time had passed anyway? The ghost of Mara hadn’t specified when she first appeared before him.

Once Ben’s eyes were back in focus, he surveyed the area. He was on a stony cliff overlooking the ocean. It was then that he registered the cold chill he felt on every inch of his body, he looked down and was surprised to see that he was completely nude. He blushed slightly, not feeling comfortable at being so exposed…but he did appear to be alone on the cliff.

He lied back down and closed his eyes. Everything hurt. And he was tired…very tired.

He was pulled from his thoughts when he felt something warm and light land on his chest.

Ben opened his eyes and saw that a beige blanket had been tossed on him. He sat up and was greeted by two force ghosts. The first man he recognized as his Uncle Luke and the other he instinctively knew. His grandfather, Anakin Skywalker, before his fall to the dark side.

“Luke?” He asked in confusion when he saw his uncle.

“Well kid, it took you long enough…” Luke smiled slightly, “I did say I’d see you around, didn’t I?”


	6. Enemies in the Shadows

**\--CORUSCANT--**

“Mistress Jaina and Master Jacen…it is simply splendid to see you again.” C3PO beamed as he spotted the Skywalker twins walking behind Rey out of the flight hanger.

They had touched down about an hour ago, Finn and Chewie had left to catch up with Poe and Rose. Leaving the three Skywalkers alone.

“Oh boy,” Jaina whispered underneath her breath as the familiar protocol droid began to follow closely on their heels.

“Play nice,” Jacen bumped shoulders with her as he greeted the golden droid. “Hey Threepio.”

“Good heavens, R2D2 will be most happy to see you. His circuits have been all in a twist ever since Master Luke disappeared.”

“Yeah, well…it sounds like everyone was kind of scattered after Dad left.” Jaina said with a hint of sarcasm.

“Threepio…I need you to gather Poe, Finn, Lando, Rose, Connix, Beaumont…and all the other leaders. We need to have an emergency debriefing in conference room 1138.” Rey cut in.

oOooOooOooO

Two hours later, all major Resistance leaders were in the briefing room, sitting around a long rectangular holotable. Most leaders were in person with the exception of Lando, Jannah, and Beaumont who were off world and appearing as blue holograms in their assigned seats.

Rey had just finished introducing the twins to the New Republic leaders.

“I don’t believe this…” Lando sighed. “You two scoundrels resurface after five years…and I’m half a galaxy away.”

“We’ll be sure we stick around til you get back Uncle Lando.” Jaina promised before they continued with the meeting.

“So…” Poe began, “How much has Rey brought you up to speed on.”

“We know that there was a five-year war with a cheap knock off of the Empire known as the First Order, and that somehow Emperor Palpatine was behind the whole thing…despite being dead for over thirty years.”

“Yes, and thankfully Rey was able to kill him again and our allied fleet was able to destroy his fleet of star destroyers.”

“So, where do you stand now? It’s been what, seven months since the Battle on Exegol?” Jacen asked.

“The First Order has all but collapsed, their regime in ruin…however there are still pockets of dissonance throughout the galaxy, particularly the outer rim. Insurgents we’re working on uprooting.” Poe explained.

“Were you ever able to salvage any of the files in the First Order’s archives? Like top secret projects they were working on?” Jaina asked.

“What kind of files?” Poe inquired.

“Files of the Sith variety…like how in the hell a dead tyrant was able to crawl back to life.” Jaina crossed her arms and kicked her legs up onto the table.

“Listen, we don’t want to raise any alarms…” Jacen warned, “All were saying is that six years ago a series of events happened, and each one was a devastating hit to the Republic. Our mother was murdered, our fathers Jedi Temple was destroyed, we were trapped in stasis, and Kylo Ren was driven to the dark side.”

The room went very quiet as Jacen continued, “All of these events happened within two weeks of each other. That isn’t some cosmic coincidence. Someone was pulling the strings…manipulating events. Someone who was helping Palpatine. He never left Exegol…not in the state he was in.”

“In the months prior to her death, our mother went on a mission to the mid-rim. She was investigating a series of disappearances that had been randomly occurring over a period of 20 years.” Jaina explained as she pulled up a holomap of the galaxy that was dotting each incident.

“The missing individuals all ranged from six months to three years of age.” Jaina continued, “and the children were all force-sensitives. A total of seventy-two children were abducted…and that’s only confirmed cases. There were most likely many others.”

“Who was behind the kidnappings?” Poe asked as he folded his arms and nodded to the map. “Did Skywalker have a lead?”

Jacen shook his head, “She left us a broken transmission that we weren’t able to salvage. All we had were her last known coordinates. Lothal…and that turned out to be more trouble than it was worth.”

“Although, after learning about what exactly happened in our absence, namely the return of the Sith and Palpatine’s return from the dead…Jacen and I have a theory.” Jaina paused, “We think the kidnappings have to do with Project: Harvester.”

“What in the hell is ‘ _project harvester_ ’?” Poe demanded, “sounds rather ominous.”

“Because it is,” Jaina pursed her lips. “Fifty years ago, at the inception of the Galactic Empire, nearly all Jedi were eradicated in an event known as Order 66. The Jedi were vilified and knowledge of the Force became legend and myth. For twenty years, force sensitives were either killed or in some cases, if they could be of some use to the Empire, they were turned. Our mother was one of the ones who served the empire. And during her time as an inquisitor she learned about a secret project Vader and Sidious were working on….Project Harvester.”

“Project Harvester is what happened to the force users who did not become dark side inquisitors. They were the ones who disappeared and were never seen or heard from again.”

The room went quiet as they processed Jaina and Jacen’s words. Rey instinctively raised a hand to her belly, an action she took when she was nervous…her baby physically soothing and mentally centering her.

“My instincts tell me that this is how Sidious returned from death.” Jacen continued, “I think he somehow siphoned force energy from these children and found a way to return from death. The only issue is he couldn’t have done it alone. Someone had to have been the one to bring him back…the only question is who.”

“I take it you don’t know this mysterious person’s identity?” Poe sighed as he rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hand.

The twins were quiet for a moment as they exchanged glances with each other. Rey narrowed her eyes as she observed the exchange, they were omitting part of the truth.

“No…we don’t.” Jaina shook her head as she shut off the holomap and pocketed the transmission disk, “But that’s what we’re going to figure out. We came here to update the New Republic that this fight might not be over yet…we have to continue our mission. Our mother died trying to uncover a Sith plot, she might have gotten a little too close to the truth…and we need to finish what she started.”

The room was silent as they processed what the twins were saying, that the war might not be over, that another sith was staying hidden in the shadows.

Poe finally stood up and cleared his throat, “follow me…I’ll show you to the archives.”

**\--AHCH-TO--**

Ben Solo’s eyes were closed, he was sitting cross-legged with his hands resting on his knees, mediating and focusing on the force surrounding him. He was levitating ten feet off the ground, ringlets of water from the ocean were slowly circling around him. He took deep breaths, feeling the power, feeling the force, coursing through him.

It had never been like this before; he always had an astoundingly strong and raw connection to the Force…but this was something more. He felt the light and dark within him…but there was no conflict, only a peace…a balance.

He opened his eyes, and saw that his hands were once again glowing blue. He brought one palm up closer to his face, clenching and unclenching his fist as he inspected it. He noticed that whenever he was attuned to the force, as he was now, his body subverted to this astral form.

His grandfather Anakin explained it as having one foot in the Living Force and the other in the Cosmic Force…he was neither truly dead or truly alive, but somewhere in the middle. When he died on Exegol, his bond with Rey was the only thing that had kept him tethered here…prevented him from truly becoming one with the force. His life was now bound to hers.

It had been two weeks since he had managed to free himself from the mysterious plane of existence. The realm he had been trapped in for the past seven months…and he had spent these two weeks on the ancient planet of Ahch-To, under the tutelage of Luke and Anakin Skywalker. Regaining his strength and acclimating to his new state of being.

He and Luke had made peace with one another, the sins of the past long forgiven. The shame and the anger long forgotten.

Let the past die indeed, He thought.

Ben looked up and saw that the twin suns were starting to set, he exhaled a breath he had been holding and the droplets of water surrounding him hissed as they evaporated back into the air. He straightened his body and gracefully landed back on solid ground.

He was stalling.

Keeping up a pretense of training on the island, when in truth he was delaying the inevitable.

Returning to Rey.

“What’s troubling you son?”

Ben closed his eyes as he registered the soft voice of his mother. He looked up and saw Leia standing before him, looking radiant in her white robes.

He hesitated before he stepped forward and threw his arms around her.

“I’ve missed you Ben.” Leia whispered as she gently stroked her fingers through his hair, like she used to do when he was a boy.

“I’ve missed you too, Mom.” He mumbled into her shoulder, “I’m sorry…for everything.”

Leia smiled as she pulled back, “I’m sorry too, that we couldn’t see what was really going on.”

How Darth Sidious had been preying on him ever since he was a child, tormenting him and twisting him with seeds of doubt regarding his family.

They both eventually made their way to his cottage and sat down on the edge of his feather bed. Speaking for the first time in years.

They talked for hours, he asked about Han and if he was one with the Force, despite not being force-sensitive. She assured him that all life creates the Force and eventually returns to it. That no one is ever truly gone.

“You need to shave,” Leia remarked as she noticed the goatee on his face.

Ben ran a hand over his lip and chin, “I actually like it.”

“Why haven’t you reached out to her?” Leia asked as she gripped Ben’s hand in her own, “Why haven’t you opened the bond?”

“Because I’m afraid.” Ben answered truthfully. “I’m afraid that things have changed…that she will have moved on.”

“Ben, you two our bound together in the force…she won’t walk away from that.” Leia answered him.

“I just don’t think I deserve her; I don’t deserve any of it. A second chance, happiness…a peaceful life.”

“All that matters is that Rey thinks you do, she wouldn’t have fought so hard for you if she thought you were beyond saving, Ben.” Leia told him, “And she deserves to know that you’ve returned.”

“I know…” Ben admitted.

“Just don’t wait too long,” Leia warned as she stood up. “I’d hate for you to miss out on anything important.”

Ben looked at her curiously before she leaned down and kissed his brow, “Goodnight Son,”

Ben smiled at her as she faded back into the Force. He sighed as he laid down on his cot and fell asleep.

**\--MALACHOR--**

The dark warrior powered off her starship and prepared to venture out into the near uninhabitable world of Malachor. One of the first strong holds of the ancient Sith order. The planet was enriched with dark side energy, energy she could feel coursing in her veins. Amplifying her hatred, ambition, and resolve.

Her master would not be pleased with the recent turn of events. But she was willing to take the punishment with her head held high. Especially when she shared what she knew. Sometimes you had to take a step back before moving forward. And they would move forward. This galaxy would be brought to heel. It was the natural order of the Universe.

She needed to stop putting old decrepit men on a pedestal. Darth Vader had personally trained her and her adoptive siblings in the prestigious Order of Inquisitors. She held the moniker Tenth Sister, and had served the Empire with honor. She had been able to unlock her full potential and pursue her ambitious thirst for power. It was Vader who showed her the truth. Only by leading through fear can one keep control. That was the natural order of things. The weak died and the strong survived. If a person was too weak to make it on their own…then they deserved to be subjugated, to be trampled, to be enslaved.

How she idolized Lord Vader. His strength and his domination. But in the end, your heroes will end up being nothing but myths. For the once menacing, fearful Sith had shown himself to be weak. A powerless fool who had given up everything…and for what? A son that he had barely known? He had given up power, for a boy playing at being Jedi. They always said that blood was thicker than water, and maybe they were right. Emotional ties would lead to nothing but your own downfall.

She shook herself from her thoughts as she walked into the abandoned temple and began to ascend the three thousand steps that led to the alter at the top of the temple. It had been relatively undisturbed in the last few thousand years. There was one incident nearly thirty years earlier, where three of her brethren had been slaughtered by a former Sith who had made a temporary truce with three jedi. They had stolen the sith holocron and the key to this battle station.

But nevertheless, she had no use for such a weapon. It mattered not when the real secrets lied beneath the temple. A portal to the legendary World between Worlds. A world she nearly had unlocked before that bitch Mara Jade had stopped her.

Her former sister used to be an inquisitor; the eleventh sister. She was thought to be the crown jewel of the Order, and she had defected. She had met the young aspiring knight Luke Skywalker and instead of killing him…she fell in love with him.

She abandoned her brothers and sisters, and named herself Mara Jade. Revenge never tasted so sweet as when she butchered Mara Jade on the plains of Lothal. Her former sister giving her life to deny her entry to the gateway to the mystical World between Worlds.

But even after death, the bitch couldn’t concede defeat. She had broadcasted her coordinates to her own children before the dual. And those sniveling twins had somehow managed to trap themselves and her in the World between Worlds. The place she had been fighting to gain access to for near thirty years had become her very own prison.

The three had been trapped in an alternate dimension, a world which could give access to every point in time throughout history. But in destroyed the Jedi temple, the twins had locked all the doors. It was like giving a starving man a picture of food. She had immeasurable power at her grasp, but no way to use it.

And then her freedom came in the form of a mysterious woman in white. A woman who managed to open the door back to the real world. And after six long years, she gained her freedom, slipping out unnoticed by cloaking herself in the force. Her adversaries ignorantly thought she still remained trapped, unaware that she had slithered out behind them.

How she wanted to butcher them, as she did their mother. But she knew her master would not be pleased; she needed to regroup and revise the plan. Darth Sidious had failed again. Failed to maintain control. It only confirmed her theory. Darth Bane’s rule of two had spectacularly failed.

The Jedi Order had crumbled fifty years ago and had yet to rebuild to a fraction of their former strength and glory. Now would be the time to strike.

She reached the top of the temple and walked before the alter. At the center laid a simple red amulet on a golden chain. She lifted it up with the force and braced her hands on either side of the amulet. She began speaking in the ancient sith language, using an ancient forbidden incantation.

Smoke began to rise from the amulet as she chanted. The mist swirling until it took the form of a featureless man. Nothing but a body of smoke and a pair of glowing red eyes. The dark warrior stopped her incantation and she let the amulet, the shadow’s tether, float back down to the alter.

She stepped back and knelt before the apparition, the spirit of a sith lord long dead. “Master…I have returned.”

She immediately felt an invisible grip on her neck before being thrown down face first into the broken stone floor. She groaned in pain as she felt the grip tighten on her neck.

“Do not attempt to distract me with pleasantries, Lumiya. You have failed me yet again. You offer me empty promises while our enemies regain control of everything we have worked for. Why should I not strike you where you stand?” The shadows voice boomed throughout the temple, causing the foundation to tremble in its wake.

“Forgive me, my lord. I was delayed. The Skywalkers were close to discovering the truth of our plans. I was forced to go into hiding, to draw them into a trap.”

“And in your absence, our plans have been further pushed back. Sidious has failed to eradicate the Jedi Order…again. When I brought him back from death, I thought my former pupil would be of some use to us. However, his hubris and ambition had always outweighed his actual abilities and conviction. He has been nothing but a failed experiment, I shouldn’t have wasted precious resources on him.”

“My lord,” Lumiya coughed as she was released from the force-choke hold, she slowly got back to her feet, “I may have a solution to all of our problems. Secrets I learned from the ghosts on Exegol.”

“Go on.”

“The girl who released me,” She smiled beneath her mask, “She is a descendent of Palpatine’s line. The offspring of one of Sidious’ clones. The girl has bonded with Ben Solo…a grandson of Anakin Skywalker. They have formed a Dyad. I sensed a child growing in her womb, a direct result of that bond…the baby carries a force signature more powerful than I have ever felt in all my years. Not even from Vader himself.”

Lumiya smiled beneath the mask that covered the lower half of her face. “It took over twenty years and the siphoning of a hundred force users to raise Sidious from the dead. I think this child is all we would ever need.”

“A Dyad has not been seen in over four thousand years,” The shadow mused, “Bring this child before me, and I shall examine it.”

“What of the mother? The child is not to full term yet.” Lumiya asked.

“If the child can survive on its own, then it matters not.” The shadow ordered, “Kill her if you have to. But bring that child to me alive and unharmed.”

“Yes,” Lumiya bowed lowly, “Darth Plagueis.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Ben are uber close to reuniting!!! I can't wait. Hmm, what will his reaction be to a mini-Ben?
> 
> And what the heck is Darth Plagueis up to? This can't be good. 
> 
> Thank you so much for all the kudos and comments, please keep it up and let me know what you think! :D
> 
> Stay tuned...


	7. Hunted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and company work to unravel an ancient sith plot, and their investigation leads them to Nevarro. An outer-rim world that holds many secrets.

**CORUSCANT**

Rey entered the archives where Jacen was diligently combing through various encrypted First Order/Galactic Empire files.

Jaina had sat with her brother for twenty minutes before she threw in the towel.

“Numbers are more Jace’s thing...all it does is give me a headache.” She explained before she headed to the Republic’s training facility to spar. Rey promised to notify her once they found some useful information.

They were at it for a few hours before they got any kind of relevant information.

“Now that’s interesting…” Jacen mused as he went over his current files.

“What is?” Rey asked, not looking up from her own file.

“This one mentions a project called rebirth…it looks like it was a top-secret cloning experiment. But it doesn’t go into detail. This must have been highly classified.”

“Does it give any clues?”

“It mentions a place called…Nevarro. Ever hear of it?”

“No, but it sounds like it might be a lead. Given the fact that the last time there was a top secret clone army, Sidious demolished the Jedi and the Republic in one fell swoop.”

“Good point…Nevarro, I swear I’ve heard that name before.” Jacen mused as he tapped a finger to his chin.

“You all right?” Jacen asked when he saw Rey wince and raise a hand to her belly.

Rey nodded, “He’s just moving around a lot. He’s got a foot right up against my ribs.”

“Have you thought more about what I said?” Jacen asked.

Rey shook her head, intuitively knowing what he was referring to. “I’ve been busy.”

“You don’t think I see what’s going on here?” Jacen asked, not looking up as he powered off his computer.

Rey folded her arms and tried to feign confusion, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.

“You’re distracting yourself…it’s been weeks since we talked about Ben, your bond, and what that might mean. You haven’t brought it up once since then.” Jacen explained.

“There’s nothing to say-“

“I don’t care if you lie to me…but don’t lie to yourself.” He chastised.

Rey took a deep breath and buried her head in her hands. Frustrated at Jacen’s talent at reading peoples emotions. “I’m afraid.”

Jacen nodded, giving her time before she continued.

“I’m scared to open myself up to that possibility, that he might come back.” She explained, “I’m afraid of giving myself hope only to have it ripped away.”

“I lost him once…I don’t want to feel that kind of pain again.” Rey explained, “We only had moments. But he was the only one who ever truly knew me.”

“And it’s not as if I can confide in my friends about it,” she continued as her voice raised, throwing her arms out to the side. “They only knew him as Kylo Ren. Ren almost killed Finn…Ren tortured Poe for information…Ren stood by as an entire star system was eviscerated. And honestly, I can’t blame them for it…but no one will ever understand. They will never see the truth that Ben Solo saved the Galaxy as much as I did…if he hadn’t shown up when he did, I would now be the one ruling over the galaxy as a lady of the sith.”

Rey took a deep breath as she voiced her fears while Jacen tentatively listened.

“It’s not even common knowledge that I’m having Ben’s baby…most people think it was a one-off with a resistance radar-technician. Because if people knew the truth…that Ben is the father. They would fear and hate my son…and I never want my child to feel that.”

Jacen paused, giving himself time to voice his thoughts on the matter.

“I don’t believe that anyone is born good or evil. I think we are shaped by the people and experiences around us. No one should be punished for the sins of their father.” Jacen explained, “And I think that when the time comes…your friends will understand that.”

“I hope your right.” Rey whispered.

They were both pulled from the conversation when they heard the automatic door hiss open.

They turned to see Jaina enter the room with a towel around her neck. Her dark red hair was pulled back in a loose braid with a headband keeping her fly aways strands out of her face. She was wearing black chi pants and a cut off red tank top that stopped at her midriff.

“You nerds find anything useful?” She asked as she plopped down and straddled a backwards facing chair.

“Yes, no thanks to you.” Jacen reprimanded. “You hear of a place called Nevarro?”

Jaina tensed up as she shifted her gaze to her brother. “Oh come on, you can’t be serious.”

“What is it? A star system?” Rey asked.

“Nevarro is one of the more prominent chapters of the Bounty Hunters Guild.” Jaina explained, “It’s a hive full of scoundrels and is frequently visited by mercs from every corner of the galaxy.”

“It’s been six years,” Jacen sighed, “You don’t think he’s still salty about it do you?”

“Uh…I stole Vizsla’s helmet.” She cursed, “I’m pretty sure that’s sacrilege for the Mandalorians.”

“Who are we talking about?” Rey asked in confusion.

“I’ll explain to you later.” Jacen whispered when Jaina’s back was turned.

oOooOooOooOo

“Is it safe for you to be traveling? Aren’t you expected to pop any day now?”

Rey was touched by Finn’s concern, but it was as if people were walking on egg shells around her. She wasn’t ill…she was pregnant.

“I’m not due for another three weeks, Finn. And Jai and Jace are coming with me…so I won’t be alone. Besides, it’s a simple reconnaissance mission. I’m not expecting to get into any fights while I’m off world.”

“When has anything ever been ‘simple’ with us?”

“Fair point…but I’ll be fine, I promise.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?” Finn asked as he watched Rey climb up the ramp of the Falcon.

“Yeah, I’m sure, besides Poe said he needed you for some important assembly on Chandrila.” Rey countered.

“A committee that you were also invited to,” Finn pointed out.

“Well…just tell them that I had really bad morning sickness.” Rey shrugged.

“Fine, please just be careful.” Finn prompted.

“I will, I promise.” Rey swore.

“And Rey,” Finn called out, “May the force be with you.”

**AHCH-TO**

“Again.” Luke prompted as he crossed his arms across the clearing. They had spent the last few weeks trying to get a handle on Ben’s astral projection abilities. He had the ability to turn ethereal at will, so in turn he should be able to disappear and manifest at any location in the universe. Like an organic force ghost.

Ben grunted in frustration, running a hand through his too long hair. “I’m trying!”

“Do or do not…there is no try.”

Ben rolled his eyes before closing them. He centered himself, tuning out the world around him, unburdening himself with distractions. He focused on the mountain peak in the distance; on the other side of the island. He brought to memory the layout of the area; the rocks, the grass, the sky. The sounds of the porgs, the smell of the sea salt.

He envisioned himself standing before that stone alter, the same place that acted as a doorway between this world and the cosmic force. The place where he had landed when he reentered the living world.

Ben opened his eyes and exhaled his breath in shock. He looked around him in awe and a slight sense of triumph. He did it. He successfully teleported a half mile between the two sides of the island. He looked across the clearing to where Luke was still standing. Where he himself had been mere moments ago.

In the distance, Luke gave him a thumbs up.

His Uncle then vanished himself, before manifesting by Ben’s side. “Very good. Just keep practicing and you’ll be able to increase the distance each time you travel.”

Ben nodded; a euphoric high coming over him. He essentially had the power to teleport to any point in the known universe. He just needed a clear image in his head of where he was going.  
“Let’s take a break,” Luke explained before he began to walk down to the village, “you’re still tethered to the living force, so you can still experience burn out.”

oOooOooOooOo

Ben ate in silence in the small hut. Luke was sitting in one of the wicker chairs, his legs kicked out, head back against the wall with his folded hands resting on his stomach.

Ben slowly chewed the bit of grilled fish before he spoke the question that had been on his mind for quite some time.

“Where is Mara?”

Luke’s head snapped up to look at his nephew.

“I saw her, in the other realm, she appeared as you do. She looked like a force ghost. But why hasn’t she shown up here, on the island?” Ben asked.

In the weeks since he began training under Luke, he had seen several of the Jedi who came before. Luke and Anakin were the most prominent ones, with a few visits from his mother.  
But he had not seen Mara Jade Skywalker since he woke up in the World between Worlds.

“My wife is the guardian of that realm,” Luke explained as if reading his mind, “As you know, that place will show you any event of the past, present, or future. Time is not relative there. And in some cases, events can be altered. That is not a power to be used lightly, nor does it belong in the hands of mortals.”

“Palpatine came close to accessing it during the original war against the empire. He excavated a Jedi temple on Lothal trying to find a way to access it. Luckily, he was thwarted…but he spent years trying to find a way to open the doors.”

“Even after death…” Ben mused.

“Yes,” Luke nodded, “about ten years ago, we came across a plot. Force-Sensitive children were disappearing on the outer-rim. Mara took it upon herself to investigate. She discovered that the person behind the kidnappings was a rather nasty woman named Lumiya. She and your aunt had a very turbulent history.

“And it came to a head on Lothal. Lumiya very nearly gained access to the gateway, and to prevent the sith from taking control. Mara gave up her physical form and bound herself to that world. Protecting it from any outsiders.”

“So,” Ben said solemnly, “She can never leave?”

Luke shook his head, “not until someone else comes to take her place.”

After sitting in silence for several moments, Luke stood up and put his hand on Ben’s shoulders. “Come with me…there’s something I have for you.”

oOooOooOooOo

Luke used the Force to drag out a small wooden chest that was tucked in under the sleeping cot. It was old, the wood warped, and it had an old-fashioned lock and key hinge mechanism.

Luke twisted his hand and the keyhole clicked and released. He opened the box and motioned for Ben to take a look.

“Is that what I think it is?” Ben asked as he tentatively reached his hand forward.

It was a lightsaber. A very familiar lightsaber. The hilt was black with a silver grip and switch. Ben gently grasped the saber and ignited the blade. A violet beam of energy hummed to life.

“This was the same saber she used when she served the Empire.” Luke asked.

Ben shook his head, “I had no idea.”

“When she defected, she meant to cast it away, to sever the connection with her old life. I convinced her not to. I told her to heal the kyber crystal and mold it into something new.”

Luke continued, “She mediated on the crystal for a week. Trying to fix the bleeding blade. Eventually her kyber crystal changed from red to purple. Representing her balance between the Light and the Dark side of the Force. It served her well for twenty years…until the day she left for Lothal and left it behind.”

“I don’t know how but somehow she knew. She knew that one part of her journey was going to end, and another was to begin. I never knew why she left her weapon…but now I do. She wanted you to have it.”

“Luke, I can’t accept this.” Ben argued.

Luke shook his head and stuck out his hand when Ben tried to put the lightsaber back. “Yes, you can. You and Mara were more alike than you realize, and she knew this. She knew your journey would be a difficult one. She never lost faith in you…not like I did.”

“I know we’ve both moved on from what happened…that day.” Ben bit his lip, “but there’s something I want to know.”

Luke nodded.

“You said you felt deep evil within me, what did you see?”

Luke took a deep breath, “I was in a dark place after my wife died. I let my grief cloud my judgement, and Sidious preyed on that. he showed me the one thing worse than losing my wife…losing my children.”

“Jaina and Jacen,” Ben said in understanding.

“I saw you kill my son and my daughter. And it brings me shame everyday knowing that I fell into his trap…I was so afraid of losing them that I was prepared to do the unthinkable.”

“It ended up not mattering…because I lost them anyways.”

“Are they still alive?” Ben asked, clinging to hope.

“Yes,” Luke nodded, “But they are in a place that I cannot follow.”

**Nevarro**

The Falcon came out of hyperspace once they began the final approach to the outer-rim world of Nevarro. Rey observed several red pits and swirling lines on the planet, lava fields by the look of it.

Jacen was in the pilot’s seat and he was currently punching in a series of binary codes, requesting permission to dock in the main city down below.

A male voice came on the intercom, speaking huttese by the sounds of it. Rey only knew a handful of words, but it appeared that Jacen, at least, was fluent in it as he began speaking back in basic.

“This is Jak Stryker, with the mining guild…requesting permission to dock.” He answered, giving them an alias.

The ground control man spoke briefly again.

“Roger…we’ll stand by.” Jacen nodded before he ended the connection.

Jaina twiddled her thumbs together as they waited for authorization. She looked on edge, not nervous exactly, but like she was waiting for something to happen. Jacen explained that she once dated a Mandalorian warrior named Jagged Fel Viszla. They had an on/off relationship through their teen years. It was a whirlwind passionate relationship. And their last breakup resulted in Jaina stealing his T-visor helmet, melting down the beskar, and fastening herself with a pairs of wrist-bracers.

Jacen suspected that she had done it as a way to get his attention; not to piss the Mando off but to get him back. But Jaina was too proud to admit to it.

After a moment, the ground controller came back on the intercom and gave them permission to dock in one of the landing pads.

Jacen acknowledged them before he began their descent into the city.

“Another happy landing,” Jaina muttered from the co-pilots seat as she undid her seat bindings.

Jacen got up from his seat and threw on his brown duster, he kept his lightsaber safely tucked away, out of sight. In sharp contrast, Jaina kept her dual sabers strapped to her thighs. Rey simply kept hers hooked onto her belt.

“So what’s our plan?” Jacen asked, “The files show that there was an old imperial outpost on the west side of the city, here.”  
He clicked on his holodisk and a blueprint of the city appeared as a hologram in front of them. The building in question glowing red among the other blue buildings.

“It looks like there’s a cantina just a few blocks north of here. Why don’t you two go investigate that old Imp facility and I’ll go deal with the bounty hunters. They might have some useful information.” Jaina advised.

“How do you plan on doing that?” Rey asked.

Jaina smirked, “By speaking their language.”

oOooOooOooOo

Rey and Jacen stood outside the door of the abandoned building. The barred windows were bashed in, graffiti covered the cement wall and door, and outside the entrance were old stormtrooper helmets mounted on pikes.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Rey muttered. It looked as if the place hadn’t been touched in years.

Jacen closed his eyes and pressed his palm against the door. He furrowed his brow in concentration, breathing deeply as he tried connect with the past.

Abruptly his eyes shot open and he tore his hand away as if he were burned, and he took a few shaky breaths.

“Hey, are you okay?” Rey asked in alarm.

Jacen nodded, “the dark side is very strong here. A lot of evil things happened in this building.”

“What did you see?”

“Nothing, it just felt like a bottomless pit. We need to go inside so we can get a more definitive answer.”

Rey nodded as Jacen took a step back before he swiftly kicked in the bolted door. The wood splintering from the force of the impact. Jacen then pulled his saber from inside his coat and ignited the green blade, illuminating the dark.

She followed suit and activated her yellow saber and they slowly entered the abandoned facility.

oOooOooOooOo

Jaina worked her way through the crowded cantina before she made her way to the bar. She hopped in one of the stools and flagged down the droid bartender.

“Can I get a shot of corellian whiskey?” She asked as she flipped a credit onto the bar top.

The droid swiftly filled a shot glass and slid it in front of her.

She thanked the droid before downing the red liquid. She spent the next few minutes observing the various patrons in the bar. Bounty hunters discussing their bounties, trading pucks back and forth. Swindling each other for extra credits.

“This is from the Rodian in the back,” she looked up and saw another bartender, a Zabrak, slide a mug of ale in front of her. “He requested your presence.”

Jaina grabbed the glass and tipped it up to the bartender in acknowledgement. She took a swig as she saw a blue skinned Rodian sitting in one of the corner booths, away from prying eyes.

Without a word she walked over and slid into the seat and crossed her arms.

“ _Its been years since we’ve seen a Jedi in this sector…let alone three of them,_ ” The Rodian said in huttese. “ _You didn’t fool us with your ‘miners guild’ charade_.”

“You can take it easy, pal. We’re not here to shut down this little operation.” Jaina explained waving her finger around the cantina, “we’re just passing through.”

“ _Lies mixed with the truth, you will have to play the game better if you want to fool Zeevo_.”

Jaina rolled her eyes and leaned back in the booth, “Fine, I’ll bite. Me and my colleagues are investigating a series of events that happened thirty years ago when the Empire had control over this planet.”

“ _Ah_ ,” Zeevo nodded in understanding, “ _The Imps used this planet as a weapons outpost. Entire families were uprooted and segregated to make way for the bucketheads. I was just a child when the war ended, but I remember those days. Even after the Rebels victory over Endor, an Imperial remnant remained on Nevarro…far beyond the reaches of the New Republic_.”

“ _They holed themselves up in that old medical facility. Rumors went around that they were dabbling in genetic experimentation.” The Rodian whispered, “They even had a eugenics specialist from Kamino_.”

“ _That old facility is haunted_ ,” Zeevo explained, “ _looters and scavengers are too scared to even go within a ten foot radius of the place. The city magistrate has talked of burning it down to the ground, but nothing ever came of it._ ”

“Yeah, we knew they were trying to clone something? Any idea what?” Jaina asked.

“ _A child,_ ” Zeevo whispered, “ _an alien child of an unknown race. Moff Gideon himself oversaw the project. He nearly burned down the city in search of his quarry._ ”

Jaina shivered at the mention of the old Moff. She heard stories from her parents about Gideon…the man was a sadist.

“What was so special about this child?” Jaina asked.

“ _He had the gift_.” Zeevo explained.

She recoiled in understanding.

“They were experimenting on a force-sensitive child?” Jaina asked in horror. “They were trying to clone him?”

Zeevo nodded, “ _But they didn’t get far before the child was liberated by the Mandalorian_.”

“Where is this child now?” Jaina asked.

Zeevo shrugged, “ _no one knows. He was taken off world by Din Djarin. That was thirty years ago_.”

“Why are you telling me all of this? Not that I don’t appreciate the help.” Jaina asked.

“Zeevo was instructed to help the Jedi...on orders of Jagged Fel of Clan Viszla." The Rodian admitted. 

Jaina sighed, of course her ex was keeping tabs on her. It wasn't as if he had anything better to do these last few years. 

oOooOooOooOo

Rey and Jacen continued to explore the abandoned facility. Picking up random force echoes on the various objects that had been left behind. Rey understood now what Jacen meant about the dark side resonating here.

She felt the same thing when she held Ochi’s dagger, hearing the screams of its victims.

There was a creaking sound behind them, and they both swiftly turned with their lightsabers in attack form.

Jaina didn’t so much as flinch as the blades hovered just a mere foot away from her face. “What? Are you two afraid of the dark or something?”

Rey exhaled as she lowered her saber to her side. Jacen followed suit.

“Well, did you two find anything useful?” She asked.

Jacen shook his head, “I’m still sorting through the imprints…there are dozens of echoes in here.”

“Well this is a first, I have the answers before you do.” Jaina said cheerfully. “All you need to do is find the right people to talk to.”

“And, what did you find?” Rey asked.

Jaina took a deep breath and turned serious, “It’s worse than I thought…the subject they were trying to clone here. It was a force-sensitive child.”

“That’s not possible.” Jacen countered, “It’s been tried countless times through history and it’s never stuck. The force isn’t something that can be controlled and manipulated like that. Someone tries to play God, and the Force snaps back…hell, that’s how our own bloodline came into existence.”

“But if they did somehow find a way, they would have an entire army on their hands.” Rey thought. “It took Palpatine 20 years and a hundred subjects to return to a state of undeath. Imagine if all it took was one. And from the one he could have an infinite supply on his hands.”

“This is not what I signed up for.” Jaina cursed as she kicked an overturned filing cabinet. “and it feels like were chasing ghosts. How the hell did mom do this for ten years?”

“So what do we do now?” Jacen asked, “So we know that the Empire was trying to clone force users, as a way of resurrecting Sidious. Lumiya was involved somehow. But she’s like a dog chasing its own tail, someone had to have been guiding her. No way she could’ve brought back Sidious on her own. Only question is who is pulling the strings?”

oOooOooOooOo

“Well, where do we go now?” Jaina asked, “Nevarro wasn’t exactly a dead end. But we have no idea where this mysterious necromancer is hiding.”

“I would say we could interrogate one of the Sith Eternal, but the entire cult perished on Exegol.” Rey informed them.

The three began to walk through the city and back to where the Millenium Falcon was docked.

They were nearly back before a fleeting feeling of dread swept over Rey. She slowed her walk to a halt before she looked around at the now barren streets.

“What’s wrong?” Jaina asked when she noticed Rey had stopped walking.

“Something feels off,” Rey whispered.

Rey heard the faint ticking, but by the time she knew what it was it was too late.

There was a loud boom, the sound deafening as Rey lost her balance from the force of the explosion, and fell down to her hands and knees. Rey coughed as she looked up through the smoke that now filled the alley.

Jaina reached for her sabers, preparing to engage the assassin…but she was too slow, the dark sider had planned this. Waited for them to return so they could ambush the jedi. A current of force lightning shot forward, sweeping Jaina off her feet and crashing her hard into the wall. Jacen shot forward but the woman shot a hand forward, trapping Jacen with a force choke. He clutching at his throat, trying to free himself from the death grip.

He successfully threw out a powerful force push, breaking the connection. He stumbled back to the ground and struggled to catch his breath. But the darksider was not slowed, she simply returned the force push back. The momentum sending Jacen flying and crashing through a pile of crates.

And Rey was left alone with the assassin.

A silhouetted figure began to walk towards Rey. There was suddenly a familiar humming noise, and a red lightsaber ignited from the women’s hand. It wasn’t a normal lightsaber…it wasn’t in the shape of a blade…it was a whip.

A long coiling red whip.

Rey saw the woman draw her hand back, and her motherly instincts kicked in and she swiftly turned away, hands wrapping around her belly.

Rey felt a sharp pain across the top of her shoulder and her back, the whip striking her with deadly force. She fell to the ground, she had just enough focus to turn so she didn’t land on her stomach. But she still crashed to the ground, crying out in pain.

Her vision started to go dark. She tried to turn but she was quickly slipping under. Right before losing consciousness, she felt her bond open once more…and she called out to the man that always came for her.

Ben.

oOooOooOooOo

Jacen staggered through the boxes, he was swaying on his feet, and he was seeing double.

Rey was unconscious on the ground. She was curled up on her side with her head laying on her arm. Her back and shoulder smoldering from where she had been struck by the light-whip.

“I’ll give you a choice, boy…” Lumiya began as she walked through the smoke, “Either hand over the Palpatine girl and the child…or watch your sister die.”

Jacen grunted as he continued to stumble forward. His head was spinning, blood was dripping down his face. He must have really hit his head hard.

“If you’re going to waste my time, then maybe I can give you something to get you moving a little bit faster.” Lumiya drawled.

She stuck her hand out to the side where Jaina was sprawled out on the ground. Lumiya flicked her wrist and a violent burst of lightning shot from her fingertips and assaulted Jaina’s body.

Jaina shrieked in pain, her back bowing off the ground, as Lumiya bombarded her with a current of Force Lightning.

Jacen fell to his knees, unable to stand the sight of his sister being tortured so mercilessly.

“Stop…” he whispered weakly as he tried to muster the strength to get to his feet. He couldn’t focus, his vision was blurry. He most likely had a concussion.

Lumiya slowly turned her head towards Jacen, and he could almost see her smirking under her mask. “I have waiting a very long time for this, Jacen Skywalker…I’m interested to see what breaks first…her body or her will.”

He ground his teeth as he tried to muster the strength to stand, he refused for it to end like this…not at the hands of the Sith…with the likes of Lumiya. She had done enough damage to his family as it was, he refused to let her hurt anyone else.

Lumiya rolled her eyes before she lifted her other arm to point at him.

Jacen closed his eyes, steeling himself for the inevitable attack.

There was suddenly a loud sound, like the sound of a pulse cannon going off. The force from the blast knocked him back and he tumbled on the ground. The strange thing was, he heard Lumiya yelp…as if the attack had not come from her.

Jacen grunted as he propped himself up on his arm to see what had happened.

A familiar figure was crouched on one knee, one fist planted into the ground and the other held out at his side. The figure was glowing blue, like a force ghost, only he was fully corporeal. Jacen couldn’t see through the figure…he was completely solid.

The man slowly stood up and flexed his hands at his sides. He spared a moment and turned to face Jacen. His hair was half up, a neat goatee on his face, and he was wearing black cargo pants, a heather grey knit sweater, and a worn charcoal leather jacket.

Ben Solo had finally arrived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> I promise, starting now i am going to get better at responding to peoples comments. I am so glad that people are enjoying this action/mystery/romance story. 
> 
> Fun little fact, I'm sure most of you have watched the Mandalorian, and i'm about to fire off some little theories i have about where the show is going. I read somewhere that Dr. Pershing had a Kamino emblem on his uniform, the alien species that basically made the clone army from the prequels. 
> 
> Also, the Client mentioned 'extracting' something from Baby Yoda. I think they want his force energy, and basically i think this is how Palps came back in the first place. Siphoning force energy from other people. 
> 
> Coincidently that was a plot point in the 'leaked' scripts that came out a few weeks ago (i swear this idea was floating around in my head before those came out, lol). 
> 
> Any who, i hope you enjoyed. And i will see everyone in a week!


	8. Reunion

“Well well well,” Lumiya purred as she strutted closer to Ben, “The infamous Kylo Ren…I must say this is an unexpected surprise. Last I heard you had perished on Exegol.”

Ben shrugged nonchalantly. “Well I hate to disappoint…but you heard wrong. Kylo actually died back in the Endar system.”

She waved her hand dismissingly, “Semantics. Nevertheless, you are only delaying the inevitable…your story ends now.”

She slashed her arm out, her red lightwhip cracking loudly as she reactivated the weapon.

“Hmm,” Ben pondered as he studied the unique weapon, “Haven’t seen that variation before.”

Lumiya ignored him as she moved her feet into position, “you’re a fool to confront me empty handed.”

Ben didn’t say anything, just gave a little half shrug.

The sith assassin hissed as she unleashed a barrage of attacks with her lightwhip. She was like a predator, furiously attacking its prey. Ben remained on the defensive, he kept his hands locked in front of him as he stealthy evaded each of the attacks. He ducked and sidestepped, each time avoiding the burning weapon by mere inches.

With each failed attack, Lumiya’s strikes became wilder…more unpredictable. Ben was more primed for this dual than her previous quarry. While in the middle of this defensive dance, Ben couldn’t help but notice that the ‘hack and slash’ power attacks she was throwing at him…was the combat style he relied on as Kylo Ren.

He was such an idiot back then.

Nevertheless, being familiar with the aggressive form…it was easy to predict, and counter.

Finally, he could see Lumiya starting to wear down. She was panting heavily under her chrome mask. Her arm shaking from over-exertion.

She let out a furious battlecry as she threw her arm back for one last power attack, and he saw his opening.

Ben reached behind him to grab his Aunt Mara’s, and now his, lightsaber from his belt. He thrust the blade up, the violet blade humming to life just as Lumiya’s red energy whip cracked in the air and fired towards him.

He braced himself for the resistance, feeling the tendril of the whip coil around his lightsaber. Lumiya gasped, thrown off that he had deflected her attack instead of avoiding it.

Taking advantage of her confusion, Ben grunted and yanked on his lightsaber, and ripped the weapon from her hands.

The curved silver hilt twirled through the air, arcing between the two duelists. Ben caught it without even taking his eyes off Lumiya.

He narrowed his eyes at her before he crushed the weapon in his bare hand.

“Where…” Lumiya seethed, her voice filled with hate, “did you…get…that…blade?”

“A gift from my Aunt…she sends her regards.”

Lumiya’s fingers curled at her sides, like an old crone, before she shot them forward. Brilliant streaks of lightning erupted from her fingertips. Ben deactivated the lightsaber and shot both his hands forward. His left palm was completely open, while his right hand still gripped the saber. His middle two fingers curling around the hilt to keep it from dropping.

The lightning connected with his hands, and he felt the dark energy pulsing through his body. He could feel his powers absorbing it, making it his own. He took a deep breath, drawing his hands back without breaking the connection before he snapped them forward once more. The lighting surge, which he had stored up was unleashed in a tidal wave of force energy. A massive force bomb that Lumiya could not escape or diminish.

She shrieked as her body short circuited, her body immediately stiffening as the volts of electricity coursed through her veins. The connection between them broke, and with a groan Lumiya fell to the ground.

It would be so easy to lock her in a force choke and drag her body forward, but Ben was not ready to go down that path. Despite what Luke had taught him about being a balance between the force, about not wholly committing to the pacifist teachings of the Jedi…Ben was not ready to tumble back down that rabbit hole. Not ready to embrace the darkness.

Instead he focused on her chrome colored bodysuit, specifically her black colored cape that hung from her shoulders.

He gripped it with telekinesis and dragged her body forward. She fought and thrashed the whole time, but she remained subdued. Her well of power purged, for now.

Ben reignited his lightsaber, a warning for her not to do anything foolish.

“Do your worst, boy.” She spat as she stared at the saber. “I won’t give you anything.”

“We’ll see.” Ben smirked before he shot his hand forward.

Lumiya gasped in shock as Ben’s hand gripped her forehead. The heel of his hand digging into the exposed skin of her brow and his fingers curling around the fabric of her headdress.

Ben’s eyes closed as he was bombarded with flashes of Lumiya’s memories. Countless scenes filled his mind. Training under Darth Vader, being brutally disfigured during a battle in space, a show down with Mara on an unknown planet, and her kneeling before a sith alter on an ancient planet.

Ben broke the connection, panting from the exertion. He fell to his knees and braced a hand on the ground.

Lumiya saw his burned-out state, and made the wise decision to flee. Her cape billowing behind her as she sprinted through the streets before vaulting up onto the city rooftops.

Ben considered going after her for a minute, but then he glanced back. Jacen was sprawled out on the ground, propped up against the wall of an alley. Jaina was lying on her stomach groaning in pain, and Rey still remained unconscious.

The dark lady of the sith could wait. Ben knew where she was going, he saw it within her mind.

Darth Plagueis. The Sith lord who craved immortality, had somehow found a way to cheat death. And remained tethered to a talisman…refusing to submit to the natural order of the force.

He also saw Plagueis’ grand plan…one that could not be allowed to pass.

oOooOooOooOo

“Why didn’t you go after her?” Jacen asked as he grabbed Ben’s offered hand, and was pulled back to his feet.

“Because she’s going to crawl back to her master with her tail between her legs.” Ben explained. “I’ll explain everything but right now I need Rey-“

He cut himself off when he heard a sharp string of curses coming from behind him. Both Ben and Jacen turned to see Jaina, who was sitting back on her heels and had her hands curled into fists.

“Where is she?” Jaina seethed, red locks of hair were sticking up in multiple directions, and she looked half mad. “I’ll kill her.”

“She’s gone…most likely off world by now.” Ben explained.

“YOU!” Jaina pointed a finger at Ben, “where the hell have you been?”

“Well, to be fair…” Ben shot back, “I could ask the same thing of you. But right now, my girlfriend is passed out on the ground with a lightsaber burn on her back. I’m going to take her back to the Falcon to heal her. So why don’t you two go keep yourselves busy and I’ll find you when I’m ready.”

With that Ben stomped off to Rey who was still curled up on the ground.

“I need a goddamn drink.” Jaina muttered as she struggled to her feet.

“You okay?” Jacen asked.

“Yeah, I’m good…just feels like every nerve in my body is on fire.” Jaina said sarcastically, “but other than that, I’m just peachy.”

“Let’s go catch our breath at that Cantina, I think we need to give the two of them some alone time.” Jacen whispered pointing behind him. Jaina turned her head and saw Ben gently lifting Rey up into his arms.

Jaina nodded as she began to limp forward.

OoooOooOooooooo

Ben had been on the island, pouring himself a glass of water when he felt the bond open. His heart had nearly stopped, when he heard her desperately calling out his name. The glass had fell from his hand and before it hit the floor and shattered, he morphed into his demi-ghost form and teleported half way across the galaxy to the mercenary controlled planet of Nevarro.

All his training with Luke and Anakin had paid off, for he appeared in the nick of timing. Saving Rey and his cousins from that mysterious sith assassin.

The shock of seeing Jaina and Jacen hadn’t even sunk in yet. Luke had vaguely mentioned that they were still alive, but he sounded so ominous when he talked about them. The last thing he expected was for them to be part of Rey’s entourage.

Mindful of her wound, Ben gently scooped Rey up into his arms. Her body was loose and heavy but she was breathing steadily, and at first glance it appeared as if she were sleeping. Ben thought about teleporting them both directly to his father’s ship…but he felt the burn out, and he had never tried it with another person. And wasn’t about to test it out. Not with Rey.

He made sure to avoid people as he made his way back to the landing pad, and the few he did come across he merely performed a mind trick on.

Insisting that there was nothing to see.

When he made it back to the Falcon, he swiftly carried her into the ship, and gently laid her down in one of the retractable cots.

He made sure she stayed on her side, her back facing him, so he could examine her wound. A black gash, about 18 inches long snaked from the top of her right shoulder down to the middle of her back.

It was letting off heat, and smelled faintly of charred flesh. Ben recalled a similar feeling on Starkiller Base, when Rey had scarred him from their first dual.

Ben mused on how their journey began as he gently pulled rolled up her white linen shirt, making sure none of it stuck to her wound…. He laid two fingers on her shoulder blade, letting a drop of his force energy flow through her. He watched as the wound began to stitch together. Mending itself.

He couldn’t bring himself to pull his hand back, marveling in the softness of her skin. He gently stroked her back, his fingers ghosting across her creamy skin.

When he heard her moan softly, Ben quickly pulled his hand away. She took a deep breath as she began to stir. She slowly pushed herself into a seated position, her back still to him.

He opened his mouth to say something, but the words got caught in his throat.

But sometimes words were overrated, and he felt their bond…their dyad…shine brighter than it ever had before.

Rey must have felt it to, for she cautiously began to turn around, keeping her eyes to the floor.

After what felt like a lifetime, she finally looked up, their eyes locking. Neither of them moved, neither of them blinked, memories came rushing back.

A choked sob escaped Rey’s throat as she collapsed forward. Ben swiftly caught her, falling to his knees as he held her. Her arms locked around his back, pulling him impossibly close…fearful of him slipping away again.

“Ben?” She whispered, fearful this was some kind of cruel dream. Tears were falling from her eyes, soaking through to his linen shirt. He didn’t give a damn.

“I’m here,” he promised as he ran a hand through her hair. “I’m here.”

Rey slowly pulled back, her arms moving to his chest. She slid one hand up to caress his cheek. She let out another shaky breath before she closed her eyes and leaned forward, their foreheads touching softly.  
Ben’s own hand snaked up to cover hers, interlocking their fingers. They remained that way for several precious moments, in blissfully pure silence. The loneliness and isolation of the past eight months slowly ebbing away.

He took a deep breath as he slowly nudged her chin up with his finger. She opened her eyes and saw him staring at her lips, a lustful look in his eyes. She felt a long-forgotten flutter from within and met him halfway.

His lips slowly captured hers, and months of pent up tension were released. She whimpered into his mouth, and the control Ben was clinging to snapped. He wrapped his hands around her hips and hoisted her into his lap.

It was then that he felt something hard and round press into his stomach. And he pulled away from Rey in confusion. His hands never left her body, but he looked down in surprise.

He didn’t know how he missed it, he must have phased it out when he was saving her, his only focus on saving her. But now that the dust had settled, here she was in his arms…heavily pregnant.

oOooOooOo

Rey saw a myriad of emotions cross Ben’s face. Shock…confusion…regret…and hurt.

He pulled away and quickly got to his feet, backing away from her. She could only imagine what was going through his head, he had been fighting to come back to her…and here she was, with child. What he assumed was another man’s baby.

“Wait, Ben…” she said as she stood up, “it’s not what you think.”

“I’m sorry,” he trailed off, “I shouldn’t have done that. I shouldn’t have assumed that you would have waited. That’s not fair to you.”

There was no bite in his words, no malice, no hate. Just regret.

“Ben-“

He covered his face with his hands, rubbing at his eyes. “I’m such an idiot.”

“Ben.”

“What am I doing?” he continued to talk to himself.

“BEN!” She shouted, finally getting his attention. He finally dropped his hands and looked up at her. “Ben…you ‘are’ the father.”

Ben cocked his head, as he slowly processed her words. His eyes narrowed, before they went wide.

“What?”

“Look,” She said walking forward and taking his hand, “when you resurrected me on Exegol…our bond, reacted. I can’t explain it…but I’m pregnant…we’re pregnant.”

She slowly pulled him forward and laid his hand on her stomach. Immediately, the baby kicked, as if sensing its father’s presence for the very first time.

“That’s right…that’s your Daddy.” Rey looked down and smiled.

The baby immediately kicked again, and Ben felt a sense of wonder flow through him. He felt his eyes watering, and he smiled as silent tears of joy fell down his face.

oOooOooOooOo

“So…my cousins spent the last five years trapped in an alternate dimension?” Ben asked.

They were both seated on the cot, facing each other. Rey was holding one of Ben’s hands in both of hers.

They had spent the last hour talking. Rey explaining what was happening with the New Republic and Ben sharing his adventures on Ahch-To in the World between Worlds. How he was working to master his new abilities as a demi-force ghost.

She nodded at his question, “Yeah, they were trapped with that woman. I don’t know where she came from though, I didn’t see her come through the portal.”

“Well, I saw her memories…I have an idea where she’ll be going.”

“I’m kind of embarrassed to be honest…I mean, I took on Sidious and was relatively unscathed, but this woman brandishes a whip and I’m down for the count.”

Ben laughed, “You had the strength of a thousand jedi backing you on Exegol…and you were far from unscathed when I found you.”

His face fell as he traced a finger over the back of her hand, “I’ve never felt such sheer terror as I did in those moments…I never want to feel that way again.”

Rey leaned forward and pressed her lips against his cheek. “And you won’t have to…neither of us will.”

“Should we go find your cousins?” She whispered, leaning into Ben.

Ben sighed as he leaned back, wrapping an arm around Rey as she rested her head against his chest. “They can wait a few more minutes. I just need…I don’t know, I need to know this is real.”

Ben absentmindedly began stroking her belly, sensing his child through the force. It was a sensation that he never thought he would experience.

By the grace of the Force, he had been given a second chance…he would not waste it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was originally going to be longer and include Jaina and Jacen's more in depth reunion with Ben, but i think that scene might get a little angsty and i really just wanted to focus on Rey/Ben and the more fluffy sappy reunion that we've all wanted. I was on a roll writing it, and i really wanted to post it for you all. I'm going to start outlining the next few chapters before getting into the final arc.
> 
> Side note, this will have a HEA but i'm also trying to keep it realistic, Ben has a lot of atoning to do for his actions as Kylo Ren and not everyone will be as openminded as Rey, going forward. 
> 
> And thank you all for the lovely comments, i cannot believe the positive response that i have gotten from it.


	9. I Am Ben

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the aftermath of their dual with the sith assassin Lumiya, Ben reunites with his cousins Jacen and Jaina...who he hasn't seen since before his fall to the dark side.

The four of them sat in painful silence for what felt like ages. Jaina was next to Jacen, her arms crossed and giving Ben a death glare. Jacen looked like he wanted to disappear into his seat. Ben was drumming his fingers against the table, his expression not giving anything away.

Rey was ready to jump in and play peacekeeper at a moment’s notice, but she felt like this was something Ben, Jacen, and Jaina had to solve on their own. She had offered to stay behind and give them some privacy, but Ben had vehemently shaken his head.

“Please…I want you by my side for this.” He had whispered, taking both of her hands in his.

“Always,” She promised him. He smiled and leaned forward to place a chaste kiss to her cheek.

So hand in hand they had entered the Cantina, parting through the crowded den of bounty hunters and mercenaries to make their way to the table in the back where the twins had taken up residence.

That had been ten minutes ago…

“I don’t even know where to start…” Jaina finally said, breaking the terse silence. “Should I start at the beginning? Where a cosmic misunderstanding basically split the galaxy in half, and set the Jedi Order back fifty years?”

Ben closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. Jaina never was one to pull her punches.

“Or…should I jump ahead to the part where you murdered your own father in cold blood?” She asked sarcastically.

Jacen simply closed his eyes and sighed.

Ben did not back down, or wilt under Jaina’s determined gaze. “If you need to vent, or process…I’m not going to stop you. Get it out.”

“Do you have any idea what it was like for us?” Jaina asked, “We were trapped, for what felt like six months…and when we get out, we learn that it hadn’t been six months but SIX YEARS…and that our entire family is DEAD.”

Jaina began to tick off her fingers one at a time, “Han…stabbed through the chest with your weird ass lightsaber. Dad…died a hermit on an island. Aunt Leia…gave her last breath to reach out to her wayward son. Which leads us to YOU. Our conflicted cousin, who we loved like a brother by the way. Abandoned his identity for five years. And took up the helm of a weird cult like society of dark side users the Knights of Ren. And what the hell kind of name is KYLO REN anyways? You basically just inverted your name. Ben Solo… Ren Kylo. Do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds? Why not chose Ben Ren or Kylo Solo, honestly?”

Jaina paused to take a deep breath, “So you spiraled down a dark path with the First Order, cheap knock off of the Empire by the way. And you tried your damnedest to undo every single thing our parents ever fought for. I want to know why!”

Ben ran a hand through his hair. He knew there was validation with every single point she was bringing up, and yet…he couldn’t help but become angry. Angry that neither Jacen or Jaina could understand what had driven him to Snoke in the first place.

“Honestly, I don’t have an answer for you…not one you’d accept at any rate.”

“We would’ve understood-“ Jacen began.

“Oh that’s bullshit and you know it,” Ben scoffed cutting him off, “Neither of you two had any idea what it was like for me growing up. Do you know what it’s like to have your parents be afraid of you? Not afraid ‘for’ you…but actually afraid of their own child. They sent me away when I was thirteen years old for god’s sake. And for all intents in purposes…I never saw them again!”

Ben’s eyes narrowed as he continued, “I know that Han and Leia loved me…but they never understood me. Not really. At the time, I don’t think anyone did. Not you two, not my parents, not Luke. Honestly, Aunt Mara was the one I felt closest to. She saw the darkness inside of me and wasn’t afraid of it.”

“I had been hearing voices in my head for as long as I can remember. Voices that whispered poisonous thoughts into my mind. Trying to convince me that I was alone, that everyone I loved would betray me in the end. A voice that called itself ‘grandfather’. I ignored it for as long as I could…but in the end, it got to me. And after what happened with the Jedi Temple…if the world was going to see me as a monster…than that’s what I was going to be.”

“And now?” Jacen asked.

“Now I’m free. Kylo Ren is an unfortunate chapter in the past; one that I will be spending a great many years trying to atone for. But now…I am Ben.”

Jaina sighed and rubbed her brow, “We know you are. We know you’re our cousin, and we know you’d take a blaster shot for us. Whatever happened in the past is just that…in the past. I know a lot of us made choices that we’re not proud of…but all we can do is move on. And I understand where you’re coming from, I do. We’re all Skywalkers…the duality of the light and dark is in our nature…we just need to learn how to balance it. I think it’s just the fact that the one person who I want to blame, isn’t even here. So I apologize for that.”

Jacen nodded, “I cannot fathom what might’ve happened if we had to face you as an enemy, …but I would be honored to stand by your side, as your family and as your friend.”

“I’m sorry that you felt so alone growing up…but from this point on, can we all be honest and open with each other?” Jaina asked. “No more bottling up emotions until it erupts.”

“I can live with that.” Ben agreed.

“Good…” Jaina smiled, “I guess, I’ll start. What the hell is that on your face?”

“Why is everyone quick to judge the beard?” Ben muttered under his breath as he rubbed at the hair on his chin and lip.

“Just ignore her, it’s fine. New leaf and all that.” Jacen elbowed his sister.

“Now that that’s all behind us. Should we talk about what happened earlier today?” Ben asked drumming his fingers together. He looked at both the twins, “how are you two holding up, you took quite the beating?”

“Well, considering I was hit with enough volts to power up this town…I’m doing alright.” Jaina said dryly as she flagged down a protocol droid to order another flight of shots.

“How did you even know where to find us?” Jacen asked.

“I was on Ahch-To…with your father…” Ben said warily. Rey had told him how the twins held quite a bit of resentment towards their father. He would make sure to tackle that bit of information later, if Ben could make peace with Luke…than the twins should also. But stubbornness ran in the family. “I’ve only been back for a few weeks, and it’s been an adjustment…for lack of a better word.”

“I’m not alive…but neither am I truly dead…I’m something in between.” Ben said. He put his palms face up on the table, thinking it would be easier to show them versus telling them.

Ben closed his eyes and took a deep breath, feeling his life force flowing. He heard Jacen suck in a breath and Jaina softly curse in surprise.

When he opened his eyes, his body was glowing blue. He was slowly learning to control it, being able to regulate his body between his ‘living’ and ‘ghost’ form.

“What happened to you?” Jaina asked as the glow faded once more.

“I remember dying,” Ben admitted, “I was on Exegol…we had confronted the Emperor and Rey had defeated him at the cost of her own life. That was something I couldn’t live with, a world without her…and in that moment I knew what I had to do.”

Rey entwined their hands together under the table, Ben gave her hand a comforting squeeze…as if reassuring himself that she was really there.

“I became one with the Force. My consciousness was preserved but I don’t think I fully crossed over to whatever lies beyond. I existed somewhere else…another realm. A-“

“A world between worlds?” Jacen asked before Ben could finish.

Ben nodded, he didn’t understand it either. When Ben died he entered the world between worlds where he met his Aunt Mara, the de-facto guardian of the realm. He had been able to observe history. Interact with the past. And fight his way back to the present.

And yet, Jacen and Jaina were stuck in that same mystical place. But they had a very different experience. For the twins, that realm was a cage. A dark prison with no windows, no lights, and no way out. For six years they were trapped, always on guard for the Sith assassin Lumiya and only having each other to lean on.

If there was one thing Ben had come to learn it was that there were aspects of the Force that would never be fully understood. Some things couldn’t be explained by science or logic. You just had to learn to put your faith and trust in the Force…it would not fail you.

Ben was pulled from his musings when Jacen spoke up, “When you defeated Lumiya…did you read her mind?”

Ben nodded. He had only scratched the surface of Lumiya’s thoughts when he probed her, seeing brief flashes in her mind. Even defeated, she was quick to shut him out. And if he were being honest, he was more concerned about the state Rey had been left in. But Ben got enough information, enough to know what her basic plan was.

“And?” Jaina asked.

Ben sighed and rubbed a hand down the side of his face, “It’s nothing good.”

“Well cousin, that was kind of a given.” She said sarcastically.

“It’s Darth Plagueis…”

Jacen nearly spit out the beer he had just taken a swig of.

Jaina slowly blinked, twice. “…shit.”

* * *

“What do you mean ‘Darth Plagueis’?” Jacen asked in denial as he followed Ben and Rey out of the Cantina.

“Darth Plagueis, as in the Muun sith lord who trained Sidious and was supposedly betrayed and murdered by him…'that' Plagueis.” Ben motioned with his hand before he put it back in his coat pocket.

“Don’t any of these people actually stay DEAD?” Jaina threw up her hands.

Ben pursed his lips, considering Palpatine’s words to him. “The dark side is a path way to many abilities some would deem to be ‘unnatural’”. He was among the few who had returned from the veil of death. And yet there was nothing aberrant about his and Rey’s circumstances. But what Palpatine did…what Plagueis was attempting to do? It was unnatural. Like leeches sucking the life from their victims to preserve their life.

“What else do you know?” Jacen asked.

“When I probed Lumiya’s mind I just saw a handful of flashes. There was a planet called Malachor…Jace, what do you know about it?”

“Uh…it was one of the ancient strongholds of the Sith, it was nearly destroyed when Meetra Surik defeated Darth Traya. Rumor has it that a very long, very violent war between the ancient sith and jedi met its end on Malachor. The very planet is held together by the dark side…it’s extremely dangerous.”

“Let me guess…we’re going to Malachor.” Jaina said dryly.

“Not all of us.” Ben said turning to Rey.

Rey stopped walking and turned to face Ben and the others. “What? You can’t seriously expect me to stay behind?”

Ben gently put his hands on her upper arms. “Listen to me, Rey. You said it yourself, the sith are regaining their power by siphoning the force from those who possess it. Lumiya wasn’t after you today…”

Rey’s hand absentmindly went to her stomach, “she wants the baby?”

A part of Rey feared that this would happen, that the power of her son would be like an aphrodisiac to the forces of evil.

“I didn’t put it together until now. Mara warned me of this,” Ben explained turning back to the twins, “When I woke up in void, Mara was waiting for me, like a guide. She told me that I had to fight my way back. She told me that a great darkness was looming, and that I had to protect a child of light and dark.”

“Our son is that child.” Ben exclaimed. “A child made through a dyad, whose power and connection to the force is unparalleled and unprecedented.”

“Lumiya came here to kill Rey and take the child.” Jacen said in understanding.

“We can’t let that happen.” Jaina said solemnly.

“I won’t let her,” Rey said fiercely. Her motherly instincts kicking in “I won’t let her take him!”

“And neither will I,” Ben promised, pulling Rey into his arms. She was shaking, her fear and anger affecting her. Ben soothed her as best he could, rubbing a hand up and down her back.

“We should get off world,” Jacen explained, “Lumiya’s nothing if not persistent. She won’t stay gone for long. She’ll be back, or she risks Plagueis’ wrath if she fails.”

“That might work to our advantage,” Jaina mused.

“How?” Ben asked.

“With the threat of her master looming over her head, she might get reckless. She’ll slip up. She caught us off guard today…that won’t happen again. Next time…we’ll be the ones to spring the trap.”

* * *

The four made their way back to the Millennium Falcon, Jacen took the pilot’s seat with Jaina as his co-pilot. They set the coordinates for Coruscant and prepared to make the jump to hyperspace.

Ben took Rey back to the main area of the ship where they could get some privacy. Rey sat down and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly.

“You okay?” Ben asked as he sat down next to her, turning slightly so he could face her.

Rey nodded, “Just…a lots happened today. I think I just need to process.”

“Take all the time you need, Rey.”

She nodded, “When we get back to Coruscant, it might be best for you to stay in my apartment. I need to brief the Republic on what’s happened, and people might be a little…distracted…if you show up.”

Ben nodded in understanding, “The twins can go with you. Not that I think you need protection, but it might be best if you have someone with you for now. At least until Lumiya's dealt with." 

Rey nodded in agreement, “And Ben, I’m not going to make you stand trial or anything like that. I know how much you sacrificed at Exegol. And while my friends might know that fact, they don’t quite understand it. If you wanted to try and make peace with them, I won’t stop you…but I won’t let them take you away from me.”

Ben smirked slightly, “If its any consolation they can’t exactly execute me because I’m already dead, and they can’t lock me up because I’m a ghost and can just disappear. But I meant what I said, I plan on correcting my past mistakes. I understand that I can’t bring life back to those who were killed by the First Order…but I can try to make it better for those who did survive.”

“I know.” Rey affirmed as she took Ben’s hand. "I'll help you."

* * *

“Do you think she’ll be okay?” Jacen asked as he engaged the auto-pilot function.

“Rey?” Jaina asked and her brother nodded, “Yeah, she’s just shaken up. Understandably too, with that psychotic cyborg on our tail. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned about Rey these past few months is that she knows how to handle herself.”

“And now Ben’s back…so that’ll help. The man seriously leveled up since we last saw him.”

Jaina agreed, “…and we got sloppy.”

“Considering that we didn’t see the light of day for six years…I think we can give ourselves a pass. Besides, we don’t make the same mistake twice. We’ll help each other train when we get back. I’ll run through Jar’Kai drills with you. And you can help me with some mental exercises.”

“If I’m being honest, I think I need to brush up on my mental capabilities as well...i rely too much on lightsaber combat. Knowing when not to fight is just as important as knowing how to.”

“Look at you being diplomatic for once,” Jacen murmured.

“If only dad could see us now…” Jaina mused.

“Hey kids,”

Jacen jumped in suprise and Jaina squealed in alarm, their hearts pounding rapidly. They both dramatically turned and saw the ghostly apparition of their father hovering between them, an arm on either side of their seats.

They sat in silence for a moment before Jaina scowled, “What the hell, Dad?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> Punching out a quick chapter before we dive back in to the juicy stuff. And seriously i cannot thank you guys enough for the warm response i've gotten to this story. 
> 
> P.S. anyone else getting excited for the new season of 'the clone wars' coming out next week?

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone, so this is my return to fanfiction after about 3 years. But sometimes when the muse hits you just have to let it out. 
> 
> As of right now, this story is just kind of a mystery/adventure for Rey. I will be throwing in lots of nods to Legends characters, and there should be more of a HEA towards the end. We'll see how it goes, it started off as a 2-3 shot and is quickly spiraling. 
> 
> Anyhow, i loved Rise of Skywalker and the fact that Reylo is now officially canon (honestly didn't think it was gonna happen). i might be one of the few who was actually satisfied with Ben's ending. I keep seeing people say he deserved a happy ending, and i honestly think this was it for him. He died saving the woman he loved and literally passed with a smile on his face. I don't think them riding on Bantha's into the twin sunset on Tatooine was ever in the cards for him. But i digress. I do wish he would've popped up as a force ghost in the end though. 
> 
> Anyway, all mistakes and typos are mine...happy reading!


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